Thursday 11 February 2016

Evaluation - Q4

Evaluation - Q2

Evaluation - Q3

My group and I chose to use youtube as a platform for gaining feedback. This was chosen for a number of reasons. Firstly, it allowed us to access a comment bar; this meant that we could use more detailed feedback from the audience. Another reason was the use of tags on youtube; this allowed us to gain further access to dance fans as we could tag the video within the selected genre. Finally, youtube is also often linked with social media; this meant that we could gain access to a mainstream audience. Dance music is often followed by a mainstream audience and it allowed us to gain a wider range of opinions. 

My first comment on the uploaded video stated that ‘The visuals matched the music well’. I was very happy with this comment as it showed that the video complied with Goodwin’s theory. It also showed that the viewers enjoyed the pace of the video as it matched the fast paced music. This was high conventional to the dance genre as it often fast paced as the artist aimed to convey excitement. We further addressed this comment through fast paced montages added to the new footage. 

Another positive comment was seen as one person stated that the use of ‘club setting’ were more ‘extravagant’. This was very pleasing as it shows that the conventional use of club settings were a success. They evidently portrayed a sense of excitement and vibrancy that most dance artists aim to convey. We further addressed this use of club setting through the jump cuts from date scenes to club scenes within the added footage. 

One negative comment stated that the ‘editing’ was ‘dull in places’. This was referring to the office scenes within the video, they were made to be plain in order to emphasise the artists professionalism and dedication. After reviewing the feedback, we decided upon making the scenes far more choppy and colourful through added tints and flashes. These were created through added filters that were available on final cut pro X. The colour balance within the tints were altered in order to create different bright colours. This was effective as it added to the conventionality of the artists party lifestyle presentation whilst also further appealing to the target audience as the colours build excitement and ‘feel-good’ emotions. 

Additionally another negative comment stated that the ‘fabricated bar setting looked unrealistic. This was referring to the bar scenes within the video and the black curtain in the background with a lack of colourful lighting. After reviewing the feedback we decided upon adding vast amounts of filters in order to create a more realistic setting. This involved adding a ‘vignette’ filter and flashes alongside ‘super 8mm’ filter; together they made the video darker so that the curtain in the background disappeared whilst also bringing added colour to the neon lighting we had and added strobe lighting through flashing lights. Overall, it made the bar setting far more realistic, further signifying that the artist lives a conventional, vibrant party lifestyle. The use of a bar setting would appeal to the target audience as the younger adults are often seen to be the main age group to attend these venues. 


Within the music industry, feedback is generally used in order to keep up to date with various trends within the target audience and their subcultures. These trends are then often incorporated into the media products themselves. This allowed an artist to vastly increase popularity and sales as they achieve stardom through a ‘ordinary’ presentation. 

Monday 1 February 2016

Evaluation - Q1

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

The overall brief given to me and my group in relation to our media products was to create a music video for a chosen genre, artist and song. Together we come the dance genre with the artist Shift K3Y and his song 'I Know'. The artist himself is a highly conventional dance artist; however, the song had a narrative within the lyrics. This allowed us to build upon a narrative style within the video. We also had to create ancillary products alongside this. They consisted of a magazine advert and a digipak. The ancillaries were used to market a fabricated album that coincided with the artist and the music video. 

The basic purpose of a music video is to advertise a artist or a brand associated with the artist, to present the artist in a way that would appeal to their fanbase and to develop a plot or narrative to run alongside the song itself. A perfect example example of these purposes was shown through David Guetta and his song 'Without You' featuring Usher. This is a conventional dance video that I used as inspiration for my own work. 


One example of advertisements seen within the video is shown through the constant reference to 'Beats' headphones that are seen to be used by David throughout. David Guetta is closely related to this branded it helps him to create further links within the media spectrum. Headphones are highly conventional to the dance genre with them often being used by DJs in clubs. This advertisement also links towards the target audience of 15-25 year olds as young adults and teenagers often buy the stylish headphones. 


Artist presentation is conveyed within the video through constant low angles and close ups of the artist, showing him to be having a good time whilst mixing music for the crowd. This portrays fun and feel good feelings within the video, exaggerated through his happy facial expressions. It is conventional to the dance genre as it shows the artist to be highly involved in the party atmosphere of which the music is generally based around. It would also appeal to the target audience of the genre as they may aspire towards the artist party lifestyle that is shown. 


Additionally to this, evidence of developing narrative is shown to run alongside the song within the video. The narrative shows the people of different countries coming together for one large beach party. This again adds to the conventions within the video as it means that the video is focusing solely around the party atmosphere that the music aims to create. It would further appeal to the young target audience as they are often seen to enjoy this environment. 


After analysing this video and many others, my group and I were able to build upon conventions of our own. One conventional aspect was created through the use of fast paced editing. This was developed in the bar scene with quick successions of jump cuts and close ups used to make a montage. The pace of the video matched the pace of the song; it built upon emotions of excitement. This is very conventional to the dance genre as artists constantly aim to convey these emotions of excitement and happiness within a party atmosphere. This excitement that is portrayed would further appeal to the target audience as it may pursue them to want to enjoy themselves. 


Another convention that is evident is seen through the use of colour and lighting. These forms colour and lighting consist of flashing effects that are made to resemble strobe lighting and added colour tints that should develop links towards neon lighting. These colours mostly consisted of blue with flashes of red, green and purple; alongside the use of strobe they were made to connote towards a club setting. This is highly conventional towards the dance genre as dance music is constantly played in this environment. It would further appeal to the target audience as they often attend these venues; meaning they can relate to the references. 


Another convention includes the use of a club setting. The is evident as I convey the artist party lifestyle with long shots of a club setting seen through the green strobe lighting.This party lifestyle is seen to be totally conventional to the genre as it is what the music often focuses upon. This is done to appeal to the target audience of young adults who can aspire towards living the party lifestyle of the artist and are also seen to enjoy a club setting. Progress towards my producer attributes is shown through this use of artist representation as I have distorted the conventions of the dance genre in order to have a further lasting effect upon the target audience. 


On top of this, the use of strobe lighting was also seen to be highly conventional. I gained inspiration for this from the video 'Club Can't handle me' by Flo Rider and it was evident in two of club scenes within my video; both of which showing red and green strobe lighting.  It was developed through both long shots of numerous club settings and added flashing effects used to highlight the lighting. It is certainly conventional to the dance genre as the lighting is distinct to a club setting; the venue in which dance music is mostly played. Additionally, the connotations towards these venues would appeal to the younger target audience as they are the predominant age groups that attend and enjoy the clubs. 

Finally, my group and I were also seen to develop and challenge conventions. This is shown through the use of a narrative that shows the artist to choose a party lifestyle over the life with his girlfriend. A use of narrative is often unconventional to the dance genre as dance music videos are often performance or concept based. However, the narrative itself is used to develop upon the presentation of the artists party lifestyle by showing him to be out with his friends. This developing of the conventional party lifestyle was particularly used in order to appeal to the target audience of young adults and teenagers as they may aspire to live their life like him. We decided upon developing and challenging the conventions in order to a make the video more unique and have a lasting effect upon the audience by making him both relatable with his stereotypical relationship and extraordinary with his extravagant party lifestyle; this complies to Dyer's star theory showing him to be ordinary yet extraordinary, in order to increase his popularity.