Evaluation 1 - Conventions of Pop Music Videos

Evaluation 1

Conventions of Pop Music Videos

Evaluation 1

Evaluation 1

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

Production Work- marking

Level 4 The candidate is expected to demonstrate excellence in the creative use of most of the following technical skills:
• shooting material appropriate to the task set; including controlled use of the camera, attention to framing, variety of shot sizes and close attention to mise en scene
• editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer and making selective and appropriate use of shot transitions, captions and other effects
• recording and editing sound with images appropriately. Where a candidate has worked in a group, an excellent contribution to construction is evident.

Video 39/40
I thought the video was fantastic with a lovely narrative cleverly woven in with performance. Some lovely match on action editing and you really nailed the lip-synch. my only criticism is that some of the performance shots were held a fraction too long but I'm being picky.

Digipak 9/10
I really like the digipak. I think it's quite simple but it serves its purpose. I think the layout of the front cover is a little weird but again well done!

Website 10/10
I think the website is fantastic. It is stylish and the images/footage you have chosen work really well . I don't see what more you could have done.

Research and Planning- mark

Brilliant SWOT analysis. Good post on what is a music video but perhaps could have done some more on purpose. Really good Prezi on history but could have finished with the future? I like your theory work especially the final slide where you considered possible applications of the theory. I felt you could have done more on codes and conventions and wow you did in the next post! Lovely of Shauna to reply with a cheery 'get stuffed'- so Disney! Like the post on history- you've been very thorough. It's hard to read your lyric analysis. I like the write up of your audience survey and your focus group and write up. Good post on psychographics and demographics. Your analyses of both the A2 student's work and the Toxic video are really very good. Another outstanding prezi on intended institutions although again you didn't explore the impact of Youtube on channels like MTV. Superb posts on locations costume and risk assessment. I couldn't see the clips in your cutaways post! Another very thorough post on branding. Outstanding digipak preparatory work and I think your website analysis was also superb.

This is an incredibly thorough and insightful blog Emily. Well done!

Emily 20/20

Social Media: Facebook

Social Media: Facebook

Facebook is a social media platform that is used frequently and is popular for my music video’s target audience. The platform is well-known and easy to use for both the companies and the consumers, and it is popular in the media world for promoting new products (including films, songs, albums and artistes). I created a social media account for my ‘Try Everything’ music video in hope to reach my target audience to promote all products within my project. I have regularly posted about new products available that relate to my music video; the website, the album and the magazine advertisement among others. These regular updates ensure that my audience is well-informed about the music video and ancillary tasks, which should increase the profits and success of the overall product. Posts mainly consist of photos and videos, along with website links so that any products can be accessed with ease. 

https://www.facebook.com/pg/TRY-Everything-149752889074061/posts/

Merchandise

Merchandise

For modern day artistes, there is no question that most of the profits from their career are in fact raised from sources other than their music; with the introduction of streaming services and downloadable music files (legal and illegal), the source of their profits has shifted from the traditional 'music and album'. Merchandise is a way in which the artiste's fans can feel more involved and connected with the creators of their favourite music, and can give them a sense of unity, belonging or identification (especially in regards to apparel). Branding and authenticity can add to this feeling of collective identity. Merchandise can also be bought as a souvenir when sold at concerts. Today, it is a vital aspect of the music industry. 

I have created some examples of how I think the merchandise for my music video should look...

The very first example of merchandise which I would produce is the standard t-shirt design. After researching current pop artiste's merchandise homepages, it was clear that t-shirts are the most popular and successful items since on every site (Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa) a t-shirt was the first featured product. 

My first design is unisex, as to not lean towards one particular demographic of my audience, and is a simple white t-shirt with the same picture featured consistently throughout the branding of the music video. The iconic image is easy to recognize thanks to this consistency and it is a clear representation of the product itself. On the back of the t-shirt, there is a list of the tour dates. This element of the design is popular among the souvenirs and merchandise of contemporary pop musicians. It could also be perceived as an additional method of advertising! 

On the website, the t-shirt is featured towards the top of the 'SHOP' page and has a simple description alongside, along with the price displayed clearly. The 'Buy Now!' button is easy to spot, making the whole buying process simple for the buyer, and size information will be available after the decision has been made to invest in the product. Making the buying process as easy and frustration-free as possible will encourage the investor to go through with their action. 

The second example of the music video's merchandise is very similar to the first, however it is a t-shirt designed for babies and children. This ensures that my whole audience is facilitated for. The yellow colour of the design was chosen specifically in order to differentiate it from the first adult design. This reduces the risk of the visitor buying the wrong product (which would result in a great deal of disappointment and frustration). 

To keep the merchandise relevant to the contemporary audience, I have designed a phone case as the third merchandise example. The consistent branded design is featured again. 

My last example of merchandise is a sports shirt which is available in both men and women styles. Unlike the other examples, it is not themed around the main branding design. Instead, it features some key lyrics to the song. Since the song focuses on positivity and encourages its listeners to 'Try Everything' (an empowering message), I thought that a sports shirt was a product that would be appropriate considering this message. The alternative, subtle design also gives an example of how the merchandise for my product will vary in styles and cater for a wider audience, thus hopefully improving sales. 

Website Analysis - Coldplay

Website Analysis - Coldplay

The home page of Coldplay's website uses mainly a dark grey/black colour in order for the rainbow colour scheme to look visually effective. Without this monochrome background, the page would appear cluttered and confusing. The spirograph-style logo for their new album "A Head Full Of Dreams" is a colourful design which also acts as a portal to the amazon site where the album can be purchased. Placing the logo in the centre of the screen, and using such eye-catching colours, draws the visitor's attention to the band's main sales focus. The logo's interactivity - the colour is constantly changing and some text pops up when the cursor is hovering over the logo - is an attractive feature which encourages the site's visitor to click on the portal. 

The most easily accessible information on the page is the band's most current news, including information about the next venue that they will be singing at. The fact that the band is encouraging their audience to follow them on their most recent activities and get involved suggests that it is something they find particularly valuable to keep a strong fanbase. 

The access panel is at the left hand side of the screen, quite small and hidden compared to other sites. The layout of the tabs remains very simple and the tabs themselves are quite spread out, making reading easy regardless of the small font. The colourful icons which appear next to the tab names also act as a method of visual differentiation which also add colour to the page and draw the visitor's eye to them. The use of space and colour on the whole page is important, since the eye is naturally drawn to the cluster of colour of the tabs - the access point for the website. 

To fill large spaces on the page, little sketches and moving images have been placed to make the space seem a bit busier - the choice of images do not seem to have any direct relevance to the band, but the colours of the images match the theme and portrays them as having an eccentric and popularly unconventional image. In the top right corner of the site there is a diagram which represents the different moon phases. The infographic is designed to light up according to the current phase of the moon cycle (in the band's home country - UK). This feature is unique and interesting, matching the band's well-known quirkiness. To add to this, it has become a popular discussion for fans on online forums and social media; the discussion consisting of several theories which have been produced as a result of the seemingly random website feature. 

The two fonts 

Only two fonts are used throughout the website, thus keeping it simple and not overcrowded. The fonts are also very easy to read, making the information clear and easy to access. The main colour choice for the font is white, which is a suitable and attractive colour against the dark grey background. The texts which may be considered as more important (such as the band's name, the title of their new album and the portal to their merchandise store) is multicoloured gradient coloured. This highlights, again, where the band want their visitors to be drawn to - where they can make their most money! This marketing technique is subtle but effective. The only issue with the font may be its size. For the most part, font sizes are very small considering the space on the homepage which may make the website more difficult to navigate and access for some users. 

Overall, it is safe to say that the design of the website is very effective, especially since the whole website is easy to access and right at your fingertips thanks to the basic yet effectual layout of the access panel, which provides easy entry to the desired information whoever the visitor. The colour choice covers that of the colour spectrum, yet the page is not overwhelming enough to confuse the visitor or be difficult to look at. The website's interactivity keeps it interesting and unique, as something is going on all the time but it is not overpowering. Every visitor is naturally guided towards the elements which earn the band money - it is a well designed website which coincides with the band's image and meets their requirements.