Evaluation Question 4

How have you used new media technologies?

During this project we experimented with various use of technology. This ranged from hardware (Camera, ipad) to software (Finalcut Pro, Prezi). Along the way we have gained new techniques and learnt from mistakes.

We used Google Sketch up to create this presentation and so explored even more different types of technology.

If long time needed to read, pause video.

We had had experience with this effect before and so we felt it would work in our video. Final cut pro allowed this effect to be possible by creating another video track and layering the timing of the video being played. We then faded out the end of the clip creating the idea of fading away.

We were also able to create the 'slow motion syncing' effect using Final cut pro but we didn't use this idea in our final cut. We and the audience felt that it was too much of a 'Filler' and didn't really hold any association to the story.

The flashback effects were inspired by Final cut but again we felt it was too much. We wanted the video to mirror the simpleness of the ancillary tasks.

Evaluation Question 3

What have you learned from your audeince feedback?

Our audience feedback is very significant to our music video and ancillary tasks. Without the feedback gained we wouldn't have noticed certain mistakes or that some shots didn't work. (Performance of slow motion syncing effect)
We noticed that as a genre singersongwriter is usually appreciated by the majority of people. The older age category like the mellow sounds and enjoy listening to calm relaxing music and the young teens like to hear lyrics that relate to their life. The females gave a much better feedback to the video as they felt more sympathetic to the video and the artist is male, attracting females.

Original image to our inital idea for magazine advert image. This is from our second shoot. The audience feedback helped us make our advert appeal more to the target audience.

Our final product was created with the help of our audience and without them our product wouldn't be as successful. Throughout the project we used the 'uses and gratification theory' to help us with our products.















Our first font cover didn't turn out well. Our audience agreed that it was just too much. We then simplified the image; more like Chase Coy's actual covers. We added text into the image just to see where the text would go. This fitted well but we made some alterations as the audience felt colour and position could be changed.


Our final design for our front cover of our digipak. We changed the other parts of the digipak from the audience feedback also. We used the same typography as we did for the magazine advert. This showed links between the products which the audience noticed well.










From our feedback we were told that the train scenes appeared too dark and so the audience couldn't see him singing. We had to shoot towards the light and this is why the footage came back underexposed. After getting the feedback we then used 'colour correction 3-way' to alter the brightness. This made the clip more clearer and the audience felt the improvement made the video flow more.










We also got feedback that said the scene with the slow motion effect was too much of a filler. Here we decided to go out filming again and so filmed more performance. This made the video flow more and keeps the performance and story going. The 'filler' section dragged on the video too much but now the video is smooth.

Evaluation Question 2

How effective is the combination of your main products and ancillary texts?

Overall we feel the combination is very effective and shows clear links. The links between each product signifies to the audience the relationship between the promotion package.

As a promotion, the products work well together and compliment each other. First the audience would see the magazine advert, then relate it to the album and finally see the video.

We feel the simpleness of each text is mirrored between each other. The lack of 'special effects' really reflects on the style of singer/songwriter also as it's very basic, a voice and a guitar.

Evaluation Question 1

How does your media product use, develop or challenge the forms and conventions of real media products?

We have also collected a few screen grabs that show a similarity between different media texts.

This shows a similar use of lighting in both Ellie Gouldings 'Your song' and our music video. We feel this effect of lighting gives a real dramatic feel to the shot and links well to the lyrics of the song we used. Unlike Goulding however, we have placed the artist in the middle of the shot instead of the right third. This puts more ephasis on the artist.

Again we are looking at 'Your song' covered by Ellie Goulding. We noticed that Goulding's video portrayed more mundane locations like our video. We discussed how this was less conventional to this genre style. Here the shots are similar as the framing shows the artist on the right side with the train window in the other two thrids of the frame.

Although our song didn't include a piano in the score we wanted to show a flashback of the two characters taking part in something together. We felt the symbol of a 'duet' would show how 'in tune' the two characters are. In 'Your song' Ellie Goulding is seen in a very similar shot. Again the main artist is closer to the audience so that they can relate better. However, in Gouldings video, she isn't playing the paino in this scene which could suggest 'out-of-sync-ness' in the relationship at that particular time.

In James Morrison and Nelly Furtado's 'Broken strings' music video. we see Morrison pick up the guitar which is sat next time him. We used this idea in our music video to link the guitar playing itself to the performance. Our shot of this event is in the same frame as the previous effect and not a MS of the artist.










Our opening and ending of the music video is of the guitar playing itself. We were inspired by the 'Confused.com' advert which showed a guitar playing itself. The strings move on their own. We created this idea but using framing we managed to show the strings playing themselves without making the technique too difficult for us. The idea of the guitar playing itself symbolizes the idea that things (relationship) carrys on even when seperate from artist (each other). We used this technique to book-end our video making it feel more complete.


Female Character/Relationship Representation.


In our video we use a female character who is the singers girlfriend. We looked at how the 'perfect' female is based around the idea of blonde hair and blue eyes. Here we have looked at Drew Barrymore in '50 First Dates', portrayed as a smart blonde how can be a bit ditzy. Bright colours make the blonde stand out more. Keira Knightly in 'Love Actually', more of a mellow blonde, shown with slim figure and comfortable/fashionable clothes. Finally, Jessica Alba in 'Valentines Day', he blonde is alot more of a 'bleach blonde' which makes her face look more pale and her features are hightened.

The media usually represents females as feeble, innocent and weak yet we often see a sense of voyerism in popular music videos, especially R&B. Being a singersongwriter, we looked at romantic and rom-com films as this shows conventionally, the idea of the perfect couple. They have fun together and 'fit' together like a puzzle. This relationship is seen throughout the video and the audience agreed as they would "aww" at some scenes and there was talk of "the cute babies they would make". Our representation of the movie industries couple is obvious in the video and is successful.