EVALUATION: Use of Media Technologies

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

As is expected of modern media distribution, the internet was the main platform I used in all aspects of research, planning and distribution. The internet provides endless outlets for bands/artists, both in terms of marketing and distribution. With piracy on a continuous climb, production companies and record labels are having to cooperate with the internet as a platform for marketing rather than trying to keep music/music videos exclusive to physical distributors such as amazon, or HMV. Therefore, record labels are becoming increasingly more invested in the internet in terms of providing fans with free music videos, via channels such as VEVO on YouTube, with the pretence that should fans enjoy the free merchandise available to them, they will be likely to seek out an artist/band's whole album, and download it legally, from download sites such as iTunes. Consequently the internet has been a hugely useful tool in creating my music video. The use of video streaming sites such as YouTube has allowed me to explore the forms and conventions of other music videos in the same rock-indie genre as Arctic Monkeys. As well as using the internet as a tool for comparing music videos and their successes and failures, I have also used to it explore Arctic Monkeys' catalogue of music videos, to allow me to build a sense of their style, so that I could apply such techniques to my music video, for example the idea that regardless of the subject matter, all their videos contain a hint of playfulness to remind the audience of their rough and ready and somewhat light hearted approach to life and its subsequent ups and downs.

Vevo on YouTube

The use of social networking sites has also been of great significance. Firstly it is a way in which I have been able to get hold of performers in my video, so in terms of practicality it has been hugely successful. In terms of distribution social networking sites seemed like the obvious choice. Unlike Youtube, when I posted my video I knew I was guaranteed responses as a number of people were bound to notice it displayed on their homepage. It is a smaller platform for talking to large audiences than Youtube, and allowed me to spread the word on my video and show the finished video with minimal effort both on my part and the part of the audience, as it is incredibly easy to comment. I treated the use of Facebook as a serious marketing and distribution platform, much the same way as Arctic Monkeys when they first started distributing and streaming music via Myspace.

I used iMovie to edit my music video. Though the programme was not new, I had to use the software in a different way for this piece. For example when it came to editing my music video, it was a different experience editing without the original sound, and cutting in time to the music proved a relatively hard task. Consequently I had to get used to changing my original storyboards where the imagery did not match the music or the cuts needed to be slowed in time with the tempo of the song. By the end of the editing process I had gained a better understanding of the techniques that worked with the music, and as the song was so well known to me, it was easier to envision where each shot would look best.

EVALUATION: Main Task and Ancillary Task

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary tasks?

In terms of practical distribution, my digipack and music video are very effective. Though I used iMovie as an editing programme, my music video has been converted to standard format, and condensed to medium size to make it quick and easily accessible on media platforms such as YouTube. I have not uploaded my music video to YouTube in HD, as this slows the buffering process, and as the internet is such a widely used and easily accessible media platform, quick and easily viewed videos are vital. From this perspective my music video has been very effective, as it is available online through YouTube, which allows it to be channelled in other formats, such as linked on social networking sites or embedded into blogs, making the format of my video very versatile and accessible by a mainstream audience. This is important, particularly as Arctic Monkeys now have a very large international following, so universal formats and platforms such as YouTube are very important for the success of their videos.

The YouTube statistics above stress the vital need for bands to market themselves on the internet and the huge audiences that are accessible by such media platforms. With regards to my music video, I have placed my video in the public domain as it is freely accessible on YouTube by anyone in any uncensored country. Thus, the effectiveness of my video with regards to its availability and reach of target audience, shows I have been successful.

With regards to the combination of my video and digipack, I feel I have effectively created a strong link between the two products, making them easy to associate with each other to the consumer. I chose to use three images taken on the day of filming for the front and back covers, this provides a level of continuity between merchandise, helping to strengthen the image the band have created either as a whole, or for that specific album (in this case, their Humbug album carries a very different feel to the previous two albums.) I compared my style of album cover to others in the same genre, for example Two Door Cinema club is simple a photograph of a cat, altered using photo editing software, to make the eyes look like jewels. I feel my album cover responded to the typical conventions of an indie album cover, through my use of photography rather than a computer created drawing which I felt I would not get as much a professional look to it. Also I felt it was very important to communicate to the audience the look and feel of the song, on as many media platforms as possible, so that they could link the merchandise together, and it would be clear from which album the music video came from. If the consumer is aware of an album and all the extras available, then the likelihood of purchasing a band's products is much higher. Consequently my reason for keeping a similar look and continuous theme throughout my two products, was so, should it have been produced professionally, the label may have received higher streams of revenue.

EVALUATION: Forms and Conventions

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

Though I feel it is important that music videos conform to an extent to the typical conventions of other videos/bands in the same genre, for the most part I have focused on challenge typical conventions, so as to keep the audience active and involved in my video. Due to my research into audience theories, for example the hypodermic needle model, and the subsequent increase of 'interactive' music videos, I drew the conclusion that for my music video to be successful I needed to challenge Arctic Monkeys' usual style. A good example of a band straying from their usual style of video, is Hurts with their new Sunday video (seen below). Their usual classic monochrome style has been altered successfully, with their video receiving 1414 likes to only 30 dislikes.

It is this idea of constant reinvention that I have found most interesting through my research, and has been a integral idea in the planning of my music video. I wanted to reference Arctic Monkeys earlier style of work, but create a fresh image, considering the song I have used is from their most recent (and most controversial to fans, in terms of style of music) album. Thus, I have challenged the typical conventions of both Arctic Monkeys and the rock-indie genre, by filming a ballet routine, which is typically seen as 'high society', however I did make sure that it fitted with the song and lyrical style, as otherwise I felt it would be straying from their style for the sake of it, and not appear as effective.

I looked very closely at Goodwin's Theory and I utilised the ideas that visuals can be used to compliment and amplify the music. In the case of my music video, I cut in time to the music, to compliment the song, however when the tempo build and the song became louder and more aggressive cut much faster. As the music came to a climax, the longest clips are 0.5 seconds, thus I used the images to amplify the music, and create a much more striking effect. However where I did challenge Goodwin's theory, is in terms of 'notions of looking' with particular reference to the objectification of women. Two females make up the bulk of my music video, however I was very eager to challenge the male gaze theory, and create a strong and powerful feel, with particular reference to the dancer who seems at ease and in control of the situation throughout. The objectification of women is not a particular characteristic of a rock-indie music video and consequently its absence did not seem out of place, whereas in a grime/RnB video it may have.

My music video is concept based, and ultimately I feel I both developed and challenged the conventions of real media products. For example I developed my concept and kept it as a constant feature throughout, which my very early research into conceptual music videos, showed that a concept has to be developed so that it can be made explicit to the audience. However I feel I also challenged audience perceptions of Arctic Monkeys video, but at the same time kept a certain playfulness which is important in maintaining their band identity, after all they have retained a 'by the people, for the people' feel.

EVALUATION: Censorship

The censorship debate is still rife, with some arguing that the media industry needs to censor more, because there is always someone who will be harmed by violent acts or obscene imagery seen in the media, and there is substantial evidence to support this effects theory (for example the Bobo Doll experiment). Yet, those anti-censorship suggest that the media industry cannot move at the pace of the most vulnerable in society, and if the harm to children is the issue, censorship should be in the hands of the parent rather than any media board.

Censorship is not a new issue, and it is applied time and again to risque music videos, which due to internet outlets such as Youtube or TV channels such as MTV can gain wide circulation very quickly. Consequently recent examples include Rihanna's S&M song and music video. Firstly the song title was changed to Come On, as the title itself was seen as too sexually explicit to appear in wide circulation. Similarly the video shows explicit sexual imagery, which given Rihanna's music tends to be most popular with girls in their early teens was considered to racy and lead to mass censorship in the countries that did show the video, and a complete ban in 11 countries.

An older example of a music video censored for its sexual content is Madonna's Erotica video, which due to the outcry at the time of its release has become on of her most famous music videos. Thus, the question arises, is it good to censor with the knowledge that it will only push the uncensored version into the public domain, and increase its popularity anyway? Similarly Frankie Goes To Hollywood's Relax was banned from the radio, for it's seemingly sexually suggestive lyrics, however at the time the band maintained that the song w as about motivation, but have seen agreed that it was about sex.

With regards to my music video, it does not contain any material that would be considered inappropriate. It does contain a dance routine, however it is not suggestive, and most RnB videos contain sexual dance routines but remain uncensored because they are not damaging to the viewer, and adhere to the 'male gaze' theory, thus gain popularity. Therefore I cannot imagine any distribution channel asking for censorship in my video, so it would be widely available for release.

EVALUATION: Audience Feedback

I decided audience feedback should not only be post-editing, rather I treated it as a continuous process, so that I could make constant improvements on my video. After issuing my initial questionnaire which allowed me to first formulate my initial ideas based on what I knew the audience wanted in a music video, I again asked for feedback whilst I was in the editing process. At the time I hadn't considered including another person, rather my video would be solely the dance routine and shadow puppets, however the feedback I received suggested it may become a bit monotonous, and the audience withdrawn.

'I think it would be best to break up the dance routine slightly more, not with shadow puppets, but with shots of something else - another person?' - Hannah Fyfe

'I like the idea of the shadow puppets, but I think it might become a bit same-y if you use them so much throughout. I'd use them more sparingly with clips of something else in between.' - Beth Walton

As a result, I took on their feedback and filmed a sequence of shots (mainly close ups to distinguish between these clips and the dance routine). I felt this looked effective, and prevented me having to reuse footage, which would give my video a completely amateur feel. When I had completed my video I posted it on both YouTube and Facebook to try and gather feedback. Though YouTube spans a hugely wide audience, I felt those most likely to watch my video would be students and within my target market, similarly with Facebook also. I received some very positive feedback via Facebook.

'This is great, you've used lighting really successfully and it makes it look professional.' - Ruby Scott

'I really like this video, you've done well in making the dance seem continuous, but with loads of different camera angles.' - Harry Buckley

As I expected, not all of the comments on Facebook were positive, with some questioning the use of shadow puppets. Though I could have chosen to make my light/dark concept more explicit, I think the majority of conceptually based music videos are not completely clear, and there will always be elements that the audience will question. Therefore I do not regret the use of some abstract imagery, as I think it adds to the fluency of the video, and had everything in my video been easily understandable, it may have become boring for the audience, and I wanted to avoid a passive audience from the very beginning.

FINAL WEBSITE

Here is my finished website. I have extended the monochrome theme to my website, so as to build up a full brand design for this one particular album (as I saw on the Two Door Cinema Club website). To further promote the album, I have created a banner which appears at the top of every page, which contains an image from the album cover. I hope that this repeated imagery will help to promote the album through all forms of merchandise, and thus this form of media convergence will be beneficial when it comes to album sales and attracting new customers.

I have five internally linked pages on my website, which cover the key areas of the band, for example a short biography for each member, as well as external links to interviews, a slideshow gallery and a contact form, so that fans can get in touch with the band.

You can view my website in full here.

FINAL MAGAZINE ADVERT

Here is my final magazine advertisement for the album 'The Jeweller's Hands'. I have kept it simplistic so as to remain in-keeping with the aesthetic of the album cover. I originally designed the advert without the star ratings at the bottom, however after looking at other advertisements for music, they usually contain reviews or ratings from music magazines. Consequently I added in two four star ratings from 'NME' and 'Q' both music magazine, to add to the authenticity. In terms of font, I stuck to only using three different kinds, including the text on the album cover, so as not to overwhelm to advert, and make it look to mismatched which would create a more amateur look.