TASK FOUR: HOW DID YOU USE NEW MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND RESEARCH, PLANNING AND EVALUATION STAGES?

In order to discuss which digital technologies were used in the creation of our Pop Promo we put together a commentary script to be read alongside the screening of the promo:

When shooting our pop promo, we used three cameras, one camera was a Sony PD170 this was used to film close ups of the stop motion effect, as this camera uses a tape there is the ability to pause, which maintained the effect that objects were appearing and disappearing realistically. The other two cameras were Sony NX5s, these cameras are high definition giving a better quality and more professional appearance.The use of three cameras allowed us to be more creative with our shots and shoot a wider range of footage. One camera was used to shoot close ups and the other was place at a high angle filming continuous wide shots, this gave a wide variety of footage and shots to use and made the shoot day process more efficient. The Sony NX5s use SD cards which make the post production process more efficient as shots were already cut in comparison to one continuous tape which needs to be cut which the Sony PD170s provide.

In the post production stage final cut pro was used to slow down the stop motion footage. Another software used was called After FX where the split screening effect was used, this involved masking one side of the mise en scene and replacing it with half the mise en scene of another shot. The split screen was used to enable a band member to be placed alongside the stop motion effect on of objects around the room and create the illusion that time was passing. Colouring and grading was also used in After FX to make the colour quality of the promo better and make it appear more professional.

In the pre production stage of the pop promo, we used the internet in order to research other songs and music videos using YouTube. Examples of the specific promos looked at were The Kooks promo for the song ‘Shine On’. Our intention was to set the promo in a domestic space and in ‘Shine On’ the Kooks are depicted in a similar setting. The Kooks have the same genre and audience as the Arctic Monkeys so they were a appropriate band to use as an influence. The domestic, relatable image created for the band is similar to that of other bands within the genre. YouTube enabled us to watch videos and listen to songs and helped further our research into the genre. YouTube was also useful in providing other examples of stop motion which gave inspiration for the stop motion effect we wished to use. A user had created a purely stop motion film to the track ‘Sleepy Head’ by Passion Pit, this gave us more examples of the use of stop motion in a domestic space. We used Google to research different bands with a similar star image and music genre, The Ordinary Boys, The Libertines and the Arctic Monkeys provided a similar image we wished to portray for our own band. We found out that these bands are focused on their music and their own music influences so we decided that we would place posters of other artists in The Factory’s living space to show that music was also their passion. After this initial research we pitched our idea using PowerPoint for windows and then presented it through an overhead optoma projector on to an activboard.

In the post-production stage we used final cut pro on a Mac G5 which enabled us to edit our footage on a timeframe, this allowed us to view all our shots and then cut the most successful to the track as well as editing the stop motion effectively. The editing was rhythmic however there were still aspects of continuity editing as there was some form of narrative within our promo which was the idea that time was passing. The shots were cut to the loudest beats within the track. The shots of the band and singer were also cut in sync to the track. Final cut pro was also used to slow down the stop motion shots using the slow motion tool. The shots cut to the track created rhythm and flow for the promo as well as conforming to the conventions of music video editing.

The playback of the track on the shoot day was on a CD and played through a stereo, a 42 inch Samsung monitor, this allowed us to play and pause the track if we needed to shoot a new take. A monitor gives instant feedback on takes and performances to allow us to make instant changes if needed.

In the pre production stage we also used the internet to email the manager of the arctic monkeys and to email each other within the group using hyperlinks via Google and youtube, making the process more efficient. We bought the track on CD through Amazon and MP3 through iTunes. We then cut the duration of the track using soundforge, this is due to pop promo conventions where a radio edit is often used to maintain audience’s attention and interest. We filmed our storyboards frame by frame using a Sony PD170 and cut it using final cut pro to produce an animatic this helped to indicate which shots were effective or ineffective and what changes needed to be made.

Natural sidelights were used to create a naturally lit living space as well as the use of floor lights to create the illusion of a music studio. Individual spotlights were also used to create emphasis on the transition. The lighting rig was also controlled on an iPad app called Lumanair DMZ controller which was used to control the lighting rig, the introduction of the iPad at the end of 2010 gave us the ability to do so and made the lighting process more efficient.

To exhibit our pop promo, we uploaded it onto Youtube and facebook. Youtube allowed us to reach a mass audience of all ages and cultures whereas facebook only promoted the promo to our friends therefore particularly to our age group of 16-25 year olds. Reaching a mass audience helped generate audience feedback to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the promo and find out whether the narrative had translated effectively, from the feedback we recovered we found out it had and our promo was particularly popular with our target audience of 16-25 year olds who gave the feedback that they enjoyed the promo regardless of whether they liked the genre of music or not, however many commented that the transition from the bedsit to the studio could have been bigger.

TASK THREE: WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM YOUR AUDIENCE FEEDBACK?

How did you carry out your audience feedback? We carried out our audience feed back for our music video in three ways. Firstly, we uploaded it to YouTube where we gained both positive and negative feedback. For example, ‘Really good effects :) band works well together and I really enjoy it!!’, and ‘Its a good video except the drummer is not playing that song!!’. We also put the video on Facebook and asked a focus group a questionnaire. By doing these three things we gained good feedback to determine the strengths and weaknesses of our music video. How did the feedback reflect the strengths of your product? Perhaps the thing we were pleased about most is that 100% of the people answering the questionnaire liked our music video whether they listened to the Arctic Monkeys or not and two people rated it their favourite video on YouTube. Everyone who answered our questionnaire thought that we used the stop motion effectively and they gained the general idea that it purpose was to show time passing and the band becoming more successful. Some mentioned that it gave the video its unique selling point as it is rarely used in music videos. Many said that it made it more interesting and helped to tell the narrative of the video and they stated that the purpose of it was to show the band improving. As well as this, people though that the props that we used fitted well with their environment and showed their background effectively. How did the feedback reflect the weaknesses of your product? We did discover some things which we could improve on through the feed back from the questionnaires and the comments on YouTube. The main criticism is that the singer did not learn the words as well as he could have and therefore the lip syncing was not as good as it could have been. As well as this, all three other members of the band could not play their instruments and therefore we had to work with what they played. Next time if we were to make a music video again, we would make sure to use people who can play the instruments well. Some also said that we could have made a bigger and clearer transition, from being poor, working class boys and playing in the bed sit, to getting signed and becoming more successful. They stated that we could have perhaps used a stage with bigger lights but this is near impossible because of the budget we were given. Explain the encoding-decoding model - Stuart Hall The encoding-decoding model derives from the work of Stuart Hall. It is a theoretical model, which is based upon the notion that the audience do not act as a ‘mass’, but rather as a collection of smaller groups defined by social and ideological elements. Media texts are ‘encoded’ (both consciously and unconsciously) with the values of their producers, who are generally white, middle-class, men. However, the audience is not made up exclusively of these groups and different groups are likely to ‘read’ the text indifferent ways. This ‘decoding’ process has 3 possible outcomes which are, a preferred reading, a negotiated reading and an oppositional reading. Examples of preferred readings achieved From gaining feedback, most of the people we asked about our music video gave a preferred reading. This is that they read our video and understood the intended values and messages. So, they understood that the concept of our video and the values we intended them to interpret was about a group of boys who practiced in their room until they got signed and became successful. Examples of negotiated readings achieved Negotiated readings are when people understand some values and they accept some elements of the video, but they have their own opinions. One girl gave us a negotiated reading. She said that the boys were just a group who played in their room and she did not understand the transition to being successful. Examples of oppositional readings achieved An oppositional reading is when the audience or members of the audience disagree with the intended values and messages we tried to put across in the concept of the video. One member of the audience commented on the artificiality of the music industry and stated that he thought that the video was trying to convey that looks and attitude is more important than talent. Conclusion In conclusion from our audience feedback we have learnt that we should have made a bigger and more clear transition and used better musicians with a singer that learned the words. I also learned that using stop motion made the video more interesting as was a good way of showing the time passing.

TASK TWO: HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE COMBINATION OF YOUR MAIN PRODUCT AND ANCILLARY TEXTS?

Task Two

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TASK ONE: IN WHAT WAYS DO YOUR MEDIA PRODUCETS USE, DEVELOP AND CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS?

This is the first frame in our music video which is obviously creating the environment of the boys. It shows an ordinary, relatable, working class boys’ bed-sit which it small and cramped, yet functional. The performance and narrative elements are bound together. The fact that there is a guitar and some drumsticks shows us the interests of the band. According to Negas, star image is a semi-mythological set of meanings constructed around music performers in order to sell the performer to a large and loyal audience. Our music video is an inspiration to other boys trying to start out and shows how the boys are just like any boys in bands.

The styling of the band is a quirky, indie image. This is clear from the way we have dressed them. The fact that we have our lead signer ‘Luke’ lying on the floor shows them as a chilled and relaxed band. We also tried to represent them as attribute to Oasis i.e. intertextuality. The drummer does not have a drum kit and this shows that they, as a band, are aesthetic and homemade which represents them as starting out on there quest to become worldwide. This links to Negus’ organic ideology of creativity in which he states that, there is naturalistic approach to artists, the image of the artist is enhanced by the record company and the artist is given time to evolve and progress through their career.




The star image of the band is that fact they are organic. They write their own songs and play their own songs instead of synthetic i.e. been put together and sing songs that others have written for them. The fact that they are organic makes them inherently talented. The significance of the organic approach for record companies and artists is that they do not need to spend time fitting the niche markets by putting groups together. It also gives the band a better chemistry because they have grown up around each other and put themselves together.




We have taken the stylistic approach by putting stop motion in our music video. This is not a convention of a music video, however we have choose to put it in our music video as it helps to link it to the theme of our video. We got our inspiration from a make of ‘Sleepyhead’. We wanted to show time passing to represent their life changing, developing and improving. This is a symbolic element which is connected with the theme of our video. We have chosen three main objects to represent the life of the boys’. The globe represents their global ambitions, while the newspaper shows their intellectual abilities, and the beer shows their rock and roll style similar to oasis or the libertines. Symbolic elements are a convention of a music video because they are used to communicate ideas quickly and efficiently within the short timeframe of a 3 minute video.




The girls are more there as friends rather than girlfriends, but they do contribute to the sex, drugs, rock and roll scene. They are contrasted to the way that women are used in other music videos. They are normally sexualised and put in to dance, however we have embedded them into the life of the band. Also, the fact that Luke is now standing, shows how the band has grown and is still growing. This is largely performance element. This helps to sell the band because they are just like any other band starting out i.e. they have friends which are girls who support them - they are ordinary boys.




This screen grab shows the change of the set which represents the change in their life. It is more like they are on the stage with bigger, better lights. They now have the amps they once aspired to as posters on their wall. The lights are edited in time to the beat and the editing speeds up to the climax in the narrative. This is a very conventional in other music videos too. The music video is edited using rhythmic montage. Is it rhythmically edited on the loud sound of the percussion, it cuts on the beat this is because it makes sense to the audience and we do not need to worry about the 180 degree rule either.




This panel of our digipak is our front cover. It has the band name ‘the factory’ like most from covers of albums and it also has the name of the album ‘keep calm and carry on’ which is a conventional approach, as most albums have a name on the front cover. We have the theme of mess integrated on it with a pile up of shoes which also features in our music video. The doc martin boots are particularly interesting as they link to the working class, factory boys footwear.




This back cover of our digipak has the song names which are conventional for a back cover of an album. It has a picture of beer on it which is quite a working class drink. The idea of beer links to our music video where there are often cans on the sides. It also features in the stop motion in which it appears and then disappears.




This poster links to all panels of the digipak and to the music video as we have the working class theme of tea and drinks. Also we have a tea stain on every panel of our album digipak and on this poster. This is conventional to do this as it is promoting our product through the use of continuity. We also use the same text font in the poster to the one we use on the digipak to make ‘the factory’ more noticeable.

Final Poster

Final Digi-Pak

Front Cover























Inside Left























Inside Right























Back Cover

Digipak Draft

back cover

inside left

front cover

Digipak Front Cover Draft

Final Cut

Evaluation of Rough Cut

After receiving feedback from our rough cut, we have discovered what works and what doesn’t. To start with, we believe that our strengths of the video include the
stop motion parts, although it is not completely on the beat at the moment and we need to tighten up the editing, we think that this is a success and that we have spread it over the course of the video. The wide shots are also good and have helped us to gain the level of continuity that we currently obtain and this is why I think that they are my favourite. Our overall structure and the performance aspect of our video is something to be proud of since we have worked very hard to build up a strong concept and worked out a way of getting the lip sync right, even though on the day the lead singer was unsure of the words.

On the contrary, we decided that the hand held camera aspect wasn’t great and the pan/tilt in particular from Lillie’s shoe up to the bassist was not great as this looked very ‘home movie style’ and doesn’t tie in with the style of editing we have. We were also told that the end of the video used much better editing techniques than the beginning and that we needed to match the start of the video to the same quality. We have also decided that the transition from the sitting room (where the boys start off) to the studio (where the boys finish) needs to be a lot bigger so in after effects we will add white frames to ensure this happens. The poster of the amp needs a bigger deal made about it since this is aspiration for the band so in our final version we will ensure this is included. Also as another point, we need to tighten the cutting to the beat of the music to ensure that this looks like a professional video.

Now that we have received feed back and have reflected on our own work, we are able to continue editing to complete a final, professional looking music video.

Evaluation of Shoot Day

The morning of the shoot day we arrived in the studio to our already prepared set. This was helpful as this meant we had a longer time for shooting. Costumes and makeup took much longer than expected and we did not start shooting until 11.30am. As we began shooting we found that following our storyboard was more difficult than expected and we had to simplify the overall all shots. we used three cameras to shoot our pop video, initially we intended to use two cameras, however on the day we found that usingthree would make it more efficient and also give us all more of an opportunity to get involved in specifically camera work but we also each had a chance to get involved in the track playback.

We feel that our shoot day was a great success because we completed our task of gaining all the footage which we need for our post production editing. This was an achievement because we started late and thought that we may not finish on time. This was heightened due to that our lead singer was unsure of the lyrics and timings. The band portrayed the correct image that we intended to present to our specific target audience and fitted the image created by the genre and fitted well together as a band. Although we had problems getting the band members in the costumes we wanted them to wear, due to a small conflict with the band, we were satisfied with the final look. The best thing about our day was that the sets looked great and we were really proud to have got the real amps, rather than use posters of amps as we expected.

The elements of the day that we would change having got the chance would be, to get slightly more prepared in the morning with getting the cast into the costumes that we felt were appropriate for our video. We also wished that we could have achieved all of our shots faster than we did although we were very relieved that we managed to get all of the filming done in one day because at one point this didn’t seem possible. Especially since we knew we had a lot of set changes. All in all I don’t think we would have changed very much about our shoot day because we thought that it was a success.

A lot of changes were made on the day of our shoot. We realised that our storyboard was too complex to follow and we were able to convey our concept of our video in better less complex shots. We also did not have as much time as we anticipated and therefore this added to the changes we made. We had to cut out the number of wide shots and we added in more stop motion, as this is more effective but less time consuming than some of the other shots on our storyboard. For example, we did not use the smaller amps and the build up of electric guitars in our last set. Instead we thought that we would get a more ‘studio feel’ to just have the three massive amps and the band playing.

Permission Letter

To Wildlife Entertainment

We are a group of A Level students working on an A Level project for a qualification in Media Studies. We are writing to request permission to use the following track as part of this project:

Fluorescent Adolescent - Arctic Monkeys

With your permission the track would be used as the accompaniment to a short form video that is made purely for assessment purposes and will have no commercial usage. The video will be viewed only by members of the school community and the assessor of the examination board.

The artist and the copyright holder will of course be fully recognised in the pre-production and evaluation material that accompanies the project. We can also include a full copyright notice if required both in the planning material and on the video itself.

Yours sincerely


Amy, Lainy and Chloe
Hurtwood House School

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Thanks for the email Lainy, Amy and Chloe,

In principal I have no problem with this useage. However, could you please advise me the slant/direction of this project.

Many thanks

Geoff Barradale (co manager of Arctic Monkeys)

---

Geoff

Thank you very much for the positive consideration of our request.

The video will form part of a portfolio of work put together as part of a unit focussing on marketing in the music industry. Our concept for the video is to chart the rise of an indie band through the changes in their environment. The video will be performance-based, but the set will change over the course of the video from teenage bedroom to recording studio. We wanted to use a track by the Arctic Monkeys because we felt their music and their story perfectly encapsulate the dreams of thousands of bedroom musicians. We intend to use actors from our school as the band members who will lip-synch the track, although if Alex and the boys would like to come and star in the video themselves, we would be delighted to welcome them for the day!

The video project and accompanying portfolio will be assessed by our teacher and the exam board, but we would be delighted to send you a copy when we have finished.

I hope this gives you the information you need. We can provide any further information or guarantees should you require them.

Best wishes

Lainy, Amy and Chloe

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Amy, do you have a number I can call you on please ?
Or you call me
Best Geoff

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After we recieved this email, we rang Geoff to asure him that we would not be portraying the band as negative. He simply wanted to talk more about the concept of the video and gave us information about the bands background which gave us more material to work with.

Digipak Cover Initial Idea

This is our initial idea for the digipak, on the left handside of the picture is the where the CD will go. We have tried to display as spilt effect, although after feedback, we have decided to change the spil to black on white rather than white on black (as shown)


The front cover of the CD is the third picture along. after further discussment, we have decided to change the picture of the band to them playing their instruments much like the picture below.

Animatic Feedback

After screening our animatic, we were given feedback. Much of it was positive, telling us that we had nice drawings which were easy to understand. We understood this would come in very useful when coming to edit our real shoot.

We talk about the use of two cameras in our shoot – one for wide shots which will be placed at slightly high angle and the other for the close ups of things building up, appearing and disappearing. This was to emphasis the change throughout the video.

We discussed the camera and the quality of the image in the video and decided to use a camera with grainy quality to make it stylistically for the beginning of our video and to end up with good quality images. This is to represent the change to sophistication of the band.

Cast List

This is a list of people which will be in our music video including pictures. We have picked these people as they fit the image we are trying to portray.




Band Members
Singer: Luke Chapman











Guitar: Josh Jackson










Bass: Will BH










Drums: Will Edgley




Girls

Molly Astley










Lillie Resta

Shooting Schedule

Costumes

Lead singer - first outfit

t-shirt



Skinny jeans
black plimsolls



Parker coat




second outfit

Blue corduroy shirt



Smart trousers

Chelsea boots






Guitarist - first outfit

Black polo-top



Black skinny jeans
Hi-tops



Grey hoody





second outfit
checked shirt



Smarter trousers
Chelsea Boots





Base Guitarist - first outfit

t-shirt

Turn up jeans



Plimsolls




second outfit

Checked shirt
Smart trousers
Boots
Cardigan




Drummer - first outfit

Fitted jumper



Jeans tucked into socks
Plimsolls



Parker coat



second outfit

Shirt with rolled up sleeves
Chelsea boots