A2 Final Music Video - Chelsea Watts Meant To Be
Thursday, 23 February 2017
Saturday, 11 February 2017
Friday, 10 February 2017
3. What have you learned from your audience feedback?
Audience feedback is important to artists and their designers to ensure that they are able to bring out the right media products that will help sell their music to their target audience. If the products are liked by somebody in their target audience they will be more likely to buy the product. If the feedback were to ignored, they may not sell as many albums because it would not appeal to the audience.
From our audience research, we decided our target audience for our media products was from the ages of 14 – 30, meaning that this was our original age range for the research and the group we needed the most feedback from. By adding our research together, we found 3 respondents in this category, one 18 year old female, a 23 year old male and the songs artist. We also received feedback from people outside of this age range which was very useful. We found from this research that it is mainly younger people who will buy digipaks on the spur whereas older generations may not and want to listen to the song before.
We also found from our feed back that it was easy to tell that the genre of the music video was pop. An example of this is that one respondent said they thought it was from the pop genre due to the bright colours used. This means that is follows the conventions of the genre well if people who do not know the genre are able to guess correctly. As well as this, the 23 year old male told me that he like the camera angles used during the filming process of the video.
The majority of people also liked the editing of the flowers when they gradually wilted and then started to blossom again, with one respondent saying it was symbolistic of their love. This suggests that the way you edit the music video is important. If the viewer enjoys the music video, they may want to buy the song as a hardcopy. As well as this we were told that the lip syncing for the music video was well done and worked well as it was in time. This is a positive comment as it is often hard to get the lip syncing correct and professionals can even get it wrong.
As well as this we received a number of positive comments about the mise on scene, suggesting that it is natural and realistic looking for the style of the song compared to other videos in the genre. This also suggests that our use of props was well done as all or the respondents liked the effect of the flowers and understood the story.
Chelsea also told us that her least favourite part of the video was drinking out of the wine bottle as it looked too unrealistic as we could not open the bottle. She suggested that it would be better to have used a glass of wine so it was more realistic We were all not surprised by this comment as it did not look realistic at all. As well as this some respondents did not see the point of the narrative breaks which we originally included due to previous research.
Many of our respondents like our digipak as the background made Chelsea stand out as she was a different colour to the background. We were also told that the colour of the text was good as it did not blend into the background like some colours would. This is important as the text needs to be read by the audience in order to find out more information about the artist and their product. One negative comment suggested that the background that we chose was dull and that they would have expected to see more bright colours.
All of the respondents said that the design of the digipak was consistant with the genre, and like that the lyrics were included on the insert of the digipak like most of the digipaks made in this genre. They also like the positioning of the logos on the back of the digipak as they were not too overwhelming.
All respondent’s mentioned they liked that there are logos of places where you can find the song. This is beneficial as it means that people may actually notice the logos and then go on the sites for the song. It was suggested that is was beneficial to link the products together as it was easily recognisable. This suggests that linking the adverts to the music video and other products may be useful, as people may recognise it and then it encourage them to buy the song, or watch the music video again.
One respondent did not like the gradient used on the landscape advert as it blocked the picture of Chelsea because it was too dark. This could suggest that the overall colours need to be lighter for them to have a positive effect.
All four of the respondent’s said that the media product’s link together well because Chelsea is clearly seen in all of them. This suggests that it is important for the artist to be in all the media products, to encourage the sale of the product.
Wednesday, 8 February 2017
2. How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
As we have created our products thinking about conventions and the real world they all connect well. The biggest link between the media products is the link with nature and the pink rose which is seen in all products. As well as this the music video includes lots of shots of greenery to set the scene outside of Chelsea’s house, for example the shots of trees outside of his house. The theme of nature is also used when Chelsea singing, laying and walking around for the exterior shots on Whitchurch Green. In order to make the link fluid, all of the exterior shots were filmed on the same day so that the lighting would not change dramatically or the weather.
For the main image of the digipak, we used a picture of Chelsea on the field holding a rose, linking it to the shots of her during the music video where she lip synced with the rose. As well as this the image used for the advert was taken in the same place as the breaks fro the music video was, connecting them again further.
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| Outside Charlie's House |
As well as the nature aspect that links the texts together, the landscape advert and the music video can be liked as they both have the outside of their house visible. Although only in the music video is the interior of the house shown to the audience. This helps to link the products as it is easy to recognise as the same location as the music video.
Another factor which links the music video and digipak is the pink rose. During the filming process we tried to include the rose as much as possible so that our audience would be able to recognise it quickly and relate it to the song. The rose is first shown as the last flower in the vase and then towards the end of the music video when Chelsea is led on the grass. It is then also shown in the main image for the digipak, both on the exterior and the interior, which links to the mise en scene of the music video.
We also linked our digipak and advert by placing the front cover in the corner of the advert. This was added to our advert after we conducted our research and found that other successful artists such as Rhianna and Adele have done the same. This helps to link the two products together as it allows the audience to recognise the album and artist, especially with the feature of the rose. This would make the album easier to but when in a shop.
Another feature that links all three products together is the font used on the text. During the process we used the same font, Luna, every time we used text such as the song title, in order to keep it consistent across the products. It was used at the satrt of our music video, the front cover of our digipak and both magazine adverts. We also used it for other text that was placed onto the products. An example of this is that we used it for our track list and the acknowledgements page text for digipak. This ensures that people are able to link our products together, as they follow the same conventions.
It is also obvious all of our products link together as Chelsea is in each product. She is the songs artist meaning that she is in the video, both of the magazine adverts and on the front cover of the album. Some artists, such as Sia do not always show their faces on their products, but are still able to link them together by using similar conventions.
We also linked together the two ancillary texts, by adding the logos of the companies that Chelsea is signed for, Syco and Sony. We also added these to the magazine adverts and the digipak to show their relationship and link the products together.
Finally, in all of the images that we used Chelsea is wearing the same outfit. We did this as we thought it would be beneficial for her to wear the distinctive top. As well as this, it was easy to ensure the outfit did not change as we filmed the exterior shots and took pictures on the same day.
Monday, 6 February 2017
1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
During the creative process of my groups three primary and secondary media products (music video, digipak and magazine advertisement) for Meant to Be, I believe that we have used developed and challenged the current media conventions that are based on real media products.
Music Video
The song that we chose to use for out project was a pop song, with the subject of a break up. This inspired us to create a narrative based music video over an abstract video as it is more conventional of the genre. Like most narrative-based music videos, we based the narrative of the songs lyrics, as well as the artist's emotions, conveyed through the music. This can be supported by Andrew Goodwin’s Six Features of a Music Video as there is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals. A key example of this is when Chelsea throws the cards towards the camera and sings 'you're not into playing games', which links as there is number of games you can play with cards, such as solitaire. You can also lik the narrative to Carol Vernallis whose theory states that whatever is happening on the screen should match with the songs, lyrics or meaning. An example of this in the real world is Adele's 'Hello', which shares they emotions of the artist as she goes through her breakup, which can be implied through the tone of her voice throughout the song.
As well as this, during our music video we use a large number of breaks, which is a convention of the pop genre. In our music video, the brakes we used showed Chelsea changing environment from the narrative interior clips to the exterior shots of her in the field and trees singing. An example of this in the real world is Ed Sheeran's new song Castle on the Hill. Throughout the song there is a number of breaks that use video footage from his childhood as the song is reminiscing, such as when he sings 'When I was six years old I broke my leg' as the first line of the song, before moving back to the present day narrative.
We have also followed conventions by changing Chelsea's costume during the music video, which is common in pop videos. This is usually done to signify the change in location or time. An example from this in our music video is that to signify that the scene takes place at night, Chelsea is wearing a dressing grown. As well as this, Chelsea changing into her work uniform could suggest to the audience that it is early in the morning as she is getting ready for work. An example of this in the real world is Jessie J 'who's laughing now', where she changes her character multiple times as well as having a child play the younger version of her self.
A fourth convention that we used as a group was focussing on the artist. During the video, we used a number of close ups of Chelsea as she was the only actress in the music video, as well as this she is the singer meaning she is following convention by being in the video. This also links with Andrew Goodwin’s Six Features of a Music Video as it suggests that the video should be focusing on the artist. An example of this in the real world is Beyonce 'Sorry', where the camera will always start and end a shot on her, such as her watching Serena Williams walking in and then later her reaction as a close up.
A convention that we broke is the stereotypical ending for a break up pop song. This is because majority of the songs contain a sad narrative throughout, whereas my group decided that we would be different and create a happier ending for the artist. This creates a timeline of the artist progressing through the emotions, which could be more relatable for some audience members. We decided to show the change of emotions through the decay of flowers, which gradually decreased in number before increasing again when the emotion of the song changed. This reference will make it easier for the audience to understand the current emotion of the artist as throughout the video it changes frequently. It could be suggested that for this aspect of the video we were able to develop current conventions for a music video by changing the prognosis of the narrative.
We were also able to challenge conventions as we did not used the male gaze during our music video. Compared to most pop music videos in todays society that will have the artists wearing revealing clothing or using suggestive movements, our artist does not do this. By challenging the convention of the male gaze, it will help the audience to feel more confident as they realise they do not have to be like the current artists to be liked. This could encourage them to buy the song and its products as the artist is more relatable to their real world.
Digipak
During our planning process, my group decided that we would use a mid shot of Chelsea holding a pink rose, which links all of our products together with a recognisable object. This follows conventions as most music videos have a certain element or object that will link it to their digipak and advertisements. A real life example of this is Rhianna's Loud which uses her current hairstyle to anchor all of the products together as it is also featured in the music video. Unlike this digipak, we did not use any form of male gaze as it did not feature in the music video and could cause confusion for the audience.
We also developed a convention further as instead of creating a separate booklet for the lyrics to be written on, we printed these onto the main digipak. This was because we found that these booklets were often lost or never opened after buying the album. An example of a booklet containing lyrics in the real world is Adele who places further images and lyrics in the booklet for the audience to read whilst listening to the music. As well as this, compared to other artists we only added the lyrics of Meant to Be. This was because we did not want to overpower the inside of the digipak. As well as this it is her most well known song so would be recognised easily, due to the title being on all three products.
Music Video
The song that we chose to use for out project was a pop song, with the subject of a break up. This inspired us to create a narrative based music video over an abstract video as it is more conventional of the genre. Like most narrative-based music videos, we based the narrative of the songs lyrics, as well as the artist's emotions, conveyed through the music. This can be supported by Andrew Goodwin’s Six Features of a Music Video as there is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals. A key example of this is when Chelsea throws the cards towards the camera and sings 'you're not into playing games', which links as there is number of games you can play with cards, such as solitaire. You can also lik the narrative to Carol Vernallis whose theory states that whatever is happening on the screen should match with the songs, lyrics or meaning. An example of this in the real world is Adele's 'Hello', which shares they emotions of the artist as she goes through her breakup, which can be implied through the tone of her voice throughout the song.
As well as this, during our music video we use a large number of breaks, which is a convention of the pop genre. In our music video, the brakes we used showed Chelsea changing environment from the narrative interior clips to the exterior shots of her in the field and trees singing. An example of this in the real world is Ed Sheeran's new song Castle on the Hill. Throughout the song there is a number of breaks that use video footage from his childhood as the song is reminiscing, such as when he sings 'When I was six years old I broke my leg' as the first line of the song, before moving back to the present day narrative.
We have also followed conventions by changing Chelsea's costume during the music video, which is common in pop videos. This is usually done to signify the change in location or time. An example from this in our music video is that to signify that the scene takes place at night, Chelsea is wearing a dressing grown. As well as this, Chelsea changing into her work uniform could suggest to the audience that it is early in the morning as she is getting ready for work. An example of this in the real world is Jessie J 'who's laughing now', where she changes her character multiple times as well as having a child play the younger version of her self.
A fourth convention that we used as a group was focussing on the artist. During the video, we used a number of close ups of Chelsea as she was the only actress in the music video, as well as this she is the singer meaning she is following convention by being in the video. This also links with Andrew Goodwin’s Six Features of a Music Video as it suggests that the video should be focusing on the artist. An example of this in the real world is Beyonce 'Sorry', where the camera will always start and end a shot on her, such as her watching Serena Williams walking in and then later her reaction as a close up.
A convention that we broke is the stereotypical ending for a break up pop song. This is because majority of the songs contain a sad narrative throughout, whereas my group decided that we would be different and create a happier ending for the artist. This creates a timeline of the artist progressing through the emotions, which could be more relatable for some audience members. We decided to show the change of emotions through the decay of flowers, which gradually decreased in number before increasing again when the emotion of the song changed. This reference will make it easier for the audience to understand the current emotion of the artist as throughout the video it changes frequently. It could be suggested that for this aspect of the video we were able to develop current conventions for a music video by changing the prognosis of the narrative.
We were also able to challenge conventions as we did not used the male gaze during our music video. Compared to most pop music videos in todays society that will have the artists wearing revealing clothing or using suggestive movements, our artist does not do this. By challenging the convention of the male gaze, it will help the audience to feel more confident as they realise they do not have to be like the current artists to be liked. This could encourage them to buy the song and its products as the artist is more relatable to their real world.
Digipak
During our planning process, my group decided that we would use a mid shot of Chelsea holding a pink rose, which links all of our products together with a recognisable object. This follows conventions as most music videos have a certain element or object that will link it to their digipak and advertisements. A real life example of this is Rhianna's Loud which uses her current hairstyle to anchor all of the products together as it is also featured in the music video. Unlike this digipak, we did not use any form of male gaze as it did not feature in the music video and could cause confusion for the audience.
We also developed a convention further as instead of creating a separate booklet for the lyrics to be written on, we printed these onto the main digipak. This was because we found that these booklets were often lost or never opened after buying the album. An example of a booklet containing lyrics in the real world is Adele who places further images and lyrics in the booklet for the audience to read whilst listening to the music. As well as this, compared to other artists we only added the lyrics of Meant to Be. This was because we did not want to overpower the inside of the digipak. As well as this it is her most well known song so would be recognised easily, due to the title being on all three products.
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| Our Insert |
A second convention that we developed using our digipak was the amount of songs. Our product has 5 songs, which is longer than the 3 songs for a single and 4 songs for an EP. This means that although it is not long enough to be an album it is too long for the conventional EP, which was our original goal when making the digipak. By having a different amount of songs to the genres convention it will make the album stand out more as people may become intrigued as to why it has a different amount of songs.
Magazine Advert
For our magazine advert, we decided that we would use a different picture to the one that is on the digipak. This is a convention of the genre as majority of artists will use a different picture taken from the same shoot, as it creates variation without it becoming confusing for the audience as both picture are similar. A real world example of this is Adele who used a similar image of her self looking down on the advert for her album 21. As well as this we also challenged the convention of using a mid close up of the artists face on the advert. For our magazine advert, we decided to use a long shot image, so that we could incorporate the nature in the background, which links to the music video. I believe this works as it is something different from the norm and will be able to cause people to question the advert.
As well as this, we decided that we would use an image of our album on the magazine advert. Although this is not found on all adverts for the pop genre, we like the idea as it would encourage the audience to look for the album in shops or online. This could increase the chance of people looking at the advert as it is not the norm. An example of this is again Rhianna's Loud album advert.
As well as this we also followed the convention of placing the information of platforms the song is available from on the advert. This makes the album more open as not everybody will buy a hard copy of the song and will use a service such as iTunes to listen to the song.
Sunday, 5 February 2017
Final Feedback
After we had created our products, we decided that it would be beneficial for us to know what people thought about them as a collective.
At the start of the project we decided that our target audience would be between the ages of 14-30, which made us want to get more feedback from people in this age bracket not just people from school. As well as this having a range of ages can help us compare and understand if our target audience was correct.
We each asked a few people to answer our questions.
The questions and answers we received are;
Here are the audio links for our artists response;
Here are the audio links for our artists response;
Audio Link to Feedback From Chelsea Watts (Artist) - Digipak
Audio Link to Feedback From Chelsea Watts (Artist) - Magazine Advertisements
From this research we have found that most people think that the products work well together. We also now know that the gradient is too strong as you can still see it harshly as pointed out by a respondent.
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