Evaluation 4 - How Did You Use Media Technologies In The Construction And Research, Planning And Evaluation Stages?

Evaluation 3 - What Have You Learned From Your Audience Feedback?

Throughout the progression on my music video, I ensured that I got as much audience feedback as possible, as at the end of the day I needed to produce something that would appeal to my audience's desires. As the target audience I based my music video on was between 15-25 year olds, I was able to ask my friends in my year on what they thought about my video.

Once I had established the genre of my video and got some basic background information on my band, I was able to understand the ideologies this genre represented and got some ideas for my music video. After discovering that existing songs created by the band are usually about break ups or implying "love is a losing game", I decided to stick to this convention and base my video on these thoughts and feelings. Therefore, deconstructing music videos that I found inspirational, was extremely helpful to explore the codes and conventions music video use to appeal to my target audience.

After producing a first draft for each of my subsidiary tasks, I ensured that I showed my target audience to gain feedback on what they thought needed improving. Not only did I gain my audience feedback on my first drafts but on my second, third etc, to ensure that I was meeting their requirements on what they thought would make appealing ancillary tasks and a final music video. Receiving feedback from my peers gave me confidence in helping create my final products, as I knew with their opinions and improvements, I could make something that appealed to them.

Asking my audience's opinion was extremely helpful when I was editing each of my drafts for my music video. I showed them all of my drafts and made adjustments to my music video based on their opinions. As my first and second drafts were only a half the song, I decided to make an executive decision on what needed editing as well as asking my peers. At the time I had made my first full version of my music video, I was satisfied with what I had achieved but decided to ask several of my peer's opinions on it and see if they thought of it. After hearing their views, I realised I still had much work to do, involving me creating another draft before creating my final music video.

What I have learnt from audience feedback is that you can never have too many drafts or ever have too much advice on what needs improving on your work. Without asking my peer's opinion, I don't think my video would have been as realistic and touching as it is now, due to the fact I may have not noticed myself that the room I had originally filmed in wasn't "boyish" enough, as well as my talent Sam ducking too early when she was about to get run over. Therefore, by consulting with my peers at every opportunity I got, helped me produce appealing final products that my audience would either watch, read or buy. If I hadn't reflected in detail on their opinions, I don't think my video would be as successful as it is now I have finished it.

When asking my target audience's opinions on my final music video I received positive feedback throughout and all of the them had a preferred meaning. When I interviewed my friend Jamie about the song choice, she did say at first she had a negotiated reading about it. However, once I put my music video to the song, she admitted how she changed her mind and loved listening and watching my creation. She also mentioned that if more music videos were like this (with a relatable storyline or even shocking twist) to this genre of music, she may listen to this style more often.

Furthermore, I would say that I concentrated on the flow of meaning and flow of emotion throughout my music video, as I has to ensure that my audience understood the plot that he was looking back at their memories when she was alive. Obviously on first watch, people don't realise this until the end when they realise that she dies. Therefore, by people feeling empathy throughout, especially evoking sympathy at the end, shows that I successfully captures these in my video.

Reflection:

Overall, this coursework piece has helped my gain a greater understanding and importance of audience feedback, as without people's opinions there would have been no key into my video's success. Over recent years, marketing and viewing products online have increased popularity excessively, implying that it is becoming a major way of accessing people's opinions and finding out what people like and dislike. One of the main emerging technologies that keeps on growing is the popularity of social networking sites and viewing videos on YouTube. This is mainly down to the fact these pieces of software are accessible at anytime, appealing to individuals. Therefore, I thought it would be a good way to receive feedback by uploading my video onto YouTube and social networking sites such as Facebook and Tumblr (see below).

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

In Conclusion:

From gaining audience feedback from my peers and on social networking sites, I was able to ask their opinions to help me produce final products that appeal to them. If I hadn't constantly referred back to my target audience throughout each drafts of my different tasks, I may not have created a realistic looking music video that they enjoyed watching or ancillary tasks that would attract their eye.

Evaluation 2 - How Effective Is The Combination Of Your Main Product And Ancillary Tasks?

When creating all of my products for my coursework task, I ensured that all of them fitted in with the idea of the memory and looking back at the past. Additionally, I had to ensure that I kept continuity throughout all of my tasks.

Video:

Advertisement

Digipak (Inside and Outside Cover)

One of the main ways I tried to keep continuity was the fonts that I used on both ancillary tasks. I ensured it was a bold font, as on existing album covers, there's are usually big and bold to catch the audience's eye. 

      

Although the scene of my male protagonist looking up into the sky (like on my advertisement) didn't feature in my music video, but the scene of them holding hands together on the grass was including, creating a link between the two tasks (as he is wearing the same colour top).

Even though at first the outside of my CD cover may not seem to combine well with my other tasks, there is a link. For example, the idea of having the rose in their hands, implies that at the beginning of their relationship everything was under control and as you move on to the back and middle panel is showings their love falling through their hands and all is left is the memories which are slowly disappearing. Like my music video, I wanted to create a story throughout my ancillary tasks, although my video doesn't feature flowers in you associate them with death sometimes when leaving them on gravestones.

 By including my talents on all on each one of my tasks, keep continuity throughout each link and subconsciously makes my audience realised that all of them are connected somehow to one another.

Here's a short video of my teachers giving their feedback on how all of the tasks that I have created link together. Although they may not be in my target audience, I decided them as well as my target audience on what they thought of my products to witness how the penumbra 

effect works. As they know what happens behind the scenes I thought it was important to ask them, not just purely because they are good at media terminology!
 Here are their opinions below:

  

     

As the video demonstrates, my teachers were impressed by all of my tasks and understood and acknowledge the key elements I purposely used and put in to create the message throughout my video, advertisement and digipak. Therefore, as both my target audience and teachers were impressed by my work, I feel as though I have succeeded in creating a successful video that links well with my combination of ancillaries tasks. Overall, I believe my products are effective in engaging my target audience's interest and was able to convey the message I wanted throughout each of my tasks. 

Evaluation 1 - In What Ways Does Your Media Product Use, Develop Or Challenge Forms And Conventions Of Real Media Products?

Evaluation 1 from Catherine Baker

Evaluations

Now that I have completed my music video and subsidiary tasks, I can now move on to starting my evaluations. Here are the 4 questions that I need to answer:

• In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
• How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
• What have you learned from your audience feedback?
• How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

Final Draft Of My Digipak

After making some adjustments to my previous drafts, I think I am finally happy with my digipak. Here are some enlarged images below:

Front Cover

 

Back Cover

 

Outside right cover

Inside and Outside Cover:

 

Second Draft Of My Digipak

After receiving feedback on which covers my peers preferred on my first drafts, I narrowed my outside cover options from 8 to 2.

Outside Cover:
Option 1:

I particularly like this draft for as it keeps continuity throughout the the outside of the panels, which I believe looks more appealing and professional. I also like this option due to the fact it conveys the message I am trying to convey, which is that their future was in their hands. Therefore, one wrong decision can be life changing, which I believe it represented in my music video. The use of the rose petals blowing in the winds, suggests the memories they once had are disappearing before their eyes and that they are no longer able to bring them back to life. Another reason why I like this draft is that the lack of saturation in each picture conveys the past and how they can look back at the memories but not re-create them, which I believe it also shown in my music video and advertisement poster. Although the rose isn't featured in my music video, it does links to the fact she dies at the end of the video. You usually associate flowers when people die, as you place them on someone gravestone, in the living memory of them, which I believe relates to the song (especially at the end).

Option 2:

One of the many reasons why I like this draft, is that is sticks to the conventions of Mayday Parade's iconic "umbrella man". The umbrella man is like their mascot and his face is never revealed, hence why I decided to get my talent to stand in front of a puddle holding the umbrella. Not only this though, but the reflection in the puddle is also featured in my music video, which would create a link that these products are advertising the same thing. The bare tree (back cover) was used to again link to the whole message I am trying to convey in general (in all three products), how not everything (like love) lasts forever and sometimes people are left with nothing. Although this draft may look rather "dull", I believe this works due to the fact that the song "The Memory" in particular has a sad ending and so do the rest of the tracks on the album. 

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Inside Cover:

 

I decided to use this inside cover of my characters walking away, as I believe this portrays the message I am trying to perceive, which I have mentioned since the very beginning. Another reason why I prefer this combination over the dandelion one, as I believe this has more depth to it, as well as linking to my music video and magazine advertisement. This also keeps continuity through the inside of the cover, which I personally think is more appealing.

Conclusion:

Although at first I liked the idea of sticking to conventions of the "umbrella man", when asking my peers on which cover they preferred, both male and females seem to prefer the flower combination. I thought that the rose draft may have been too "girly" when creating it however, when asking some male peers they said how they liked the continuity throughout each panel and the message they I was trying to create by it. As I am aiming to create a digipak that would attract my target audience eye, I should listen to their opinions and go with this draft.

Next Steps:

My friend cleverly noticed that on the back cover of my flower draft, the petals falling out of her hands are not visible. Therefore, I will need to go back to photoshop, add a layer mask on the background and ensure the colour of the petals come through onto the page, so people can understand the message of everything is falling through their hands.