Evaluation question 4 script

How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?
 
Blogger
Blogger was one of the main technologies I used throughout my coursework. This is where I stored all of my information and also shared videos and presentations that I made. The reason that I used Blogger, over other blogging sites, was because it is linked with Google. This meant that I could embed videos and links easily as they would go straight to YouTube without any problems. It also allowed me to choose a variety of styles of blog meaning that I could pick a format that suited me.

Blogger was also important for me in the research stage. This was where I uploaded all of my research and also created my textual analysis pieces. By uploading my research into Blogger, it meant I could easily search for these research pieces by using the built in search button. This helped when I searched for ideas for my music video

In terms of planning, Blogger allowed me to upload videos and images to help me plan for my evaluation questions and coursework video. By having all of my ideas and plans in one place, it meant that I could easily plan my ideas and share it with other people in my group.

Blogger has also allowed me to upload all of my evaluation scripts and ideas to share with others and also people in my group.

In my AS coursework, I didn’t use Blogger, instead I used WordPress. Now, in hindsight, I should have used Blogger as it is a much more advanced website, and due to it being linked with Google, link and videos are much easier to insert.

YouTube

Due to the vast amount of videos and guides on YouTube, it helped me to solve any problems I had during the editing process of my video. For example, when there was ever a problem or something that I didn’t understand, such as how to crop easily on Photoshop, then I would type it in on YouTube and get many videos on how I could solve that problem. Furthermore, due to the large distribution and audience of YouTube, it means that the videos that I uploaded could be seen by my target audience.

During research, I used YouTube to search for many different YouTube videos. This meant I could get examples of music videos so that I could find similarities and differences between a large variety of videos from many genres such as rap or house

During my planning stage, I didn’t use YouTube too much, in comparison to my research stage, yet I still went on YouTube to look at ideas and also to get the music video of ‘Not Afraid’ by Eminem up so that our actor could lip sync in time to the song.

For my evaluations, I used YouTube to upload any videos or voiceovers that I had so that I could share them and to also get feedback.

WhatsApp

WhatsApp was also a vital part of our coursework becoming a success. By using WhatsApp, it allowed our group to communicate with each other easily by creating a group chat. This allowed us to know what we were doing, when we were doing it, and also to know where we had to meet to film. This was the only real use for WhatsApp, due to its main purpose to be used for communication and not for research or creating videos.

Google

Research: Google helped massively whilst I was researching. Due to its large database, I could find nearly anything I wanted, such as music videos, what a music video should contain, and also specific stereotypes and conventions that would usually be seen in a rap music video. By having this, it allowed us to conform or subvert to the conventions and make our video as good as possible. Google also helped me during my evaluation stages. It allowed me to search theories that I could use and also to find videos that I could put into my evaluation questions. Not only that, it allowed for me to get feedback on my work by using google drive so that files could be shared between me and my teacher. It also gave me a wide access to resources.

Wikipedia

Wikipedia helped me a lot throughout my research and planning stages. It allowed me to gain information about people and theories that I needed or wanted to include in either my blog posts or my evaluation questions. In addition to this, I could also find out information about songs and videos such as the first music video made or when Eminem’s ‘Not Afraid’ was released.

Adobe Premiere Pro

Adobe Premiere Pro is a timeline-based video editing software application that was another key media technology that I used to help me complete my coursework. This is a professional editing software that was provided in order for me to complete the editing process of my coursework and also the editing process of other evaluation questions. By having a professional quality software such as Premiere Pro, it enabled me to edit at the best of my ability and to edit to a high quality throughout.

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is an advanced image editing software that once again was a key media technology that I used to help me complete my coursework. Photoshop helped me edit and also create the digipak and magazine cover that was necessary for my coursework. By having a professional software package such as Photoshop, it meant that there were many advanced features that I could use to make the digipak and magazine cover as professional as possible but also to a high standard. I also had to reflect the genre of my music video on this digipak, meaning that the wide variety of fonts were helpful and helped me to get a suitable font.

Physical technologies

Throughout my coursework I used a variety of physical technologies such as DSLR Cameras, SD cards and tripods. This helped me film at a high quality, due to the DSLR lens and to also transfer and store data, such as videos that I filmed, quickly in an SD card. The use of the tripod allowed me to keep the camera perfectly still in specific shots, meaning it would have a professional look.

Prezi

Prezi is an online presentation program that allows presentations to be shown in a professional way. I used Prezi to create many presentations throughout my coursework such as my ideas, props used and many other important aspects that I thought I would need to share to gain feedback and also and ideas that I could add or I have missed. This has allowed for my video to be a lot better as I got constant feedback throughout the process by creating presentations and sharing them.
 

Overall, I used a wide variety of media technologies, from physical products to software, to help me make my music video, and also my other evaluation questions as good as possible and to a high and professional standard.

Evaluation question 3 script

What have you learned from your audience feedback?

First of all, to gain some insight in to what my audience wanted, I decided to do some research into some rap music videos, such as Eminem ‘ Not Afraid’ and ‘Lose Yourself’. I also looked at Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Alright’ to gain some wider research into how different cultures attracted their audience. From our research, I discovered that there were many conventions of a rap music video that I should follow. These include:
•        Casual clothing
•        Sections of direct contact with the camera
•        Artists spend a lot of time looking straight into the camera and breaking the 4th wall as if they are having a conversation with the audience
•        Props tend to be used such as jewellery
•        Show a clear display of emotions
•        Strong editing cuts between concept and narrative

By finding these conventions and following them, it means that our audience should be content with what they are seeing due to the fact that it is the norm in rap music videos.

Our next step was to create a questionnaire in order to find out who our target audience actually were and to also see what they wanted to be in our video. Some of the questions in our questionnaire were ‘In your opinion what is the target audience for rap videos?’ and also ‘Do you think stereotypical props such as drugs and money should be used’. This wide variety of questions, amongst others allowed for a detailed look at what my audience wanted. From the feedback, we found that the main target audience were 15-25 year olds and that they felt that they didn’t want the stereotypical props in the video such as drugs. This again, along with the conventions, should allow me to find out what my target audience really want but also who they are.

 

Throughout our music video we used a number of micro elements such as mise-en-scene and camera angles. For example, we had our protagonist and also the gang members wearing clothes that you would expect in a rap music video, such as dark clothes and hoodies. We did this to fit in to a convention of rap music videos such as similar/ casual clothing. Not only that, we used high and low angle shots throughout to show the power and control specific characters have over each other. We also used tracking and moving shots to follow the protagonist to see his actions and also his emotions. This is mainly seen in the long tracking shot on the roof of the car park.

 

Once we had finished the production stage, we then went into our post-production stage where we checked that our production fit the specifications that we wanted and also that our audience was happy with what we had created. In order to do this, we showed our video to numerous people, of a similar age to our target audience, and recorded their feedback. This included:

·         Shots are really good and clear
·         Maybe more locations?
·         Lip syncing fits well
·         Good use of locations
·         Good steady shots
·         Edited to the beat well
·         Slow start at beginning but builds up well
·         Good lighting for establishing shot
·         Good range of shots
·         Narrative is good and clear
 

Overall our feedback was extremely positive and there were few improvements that could be made. Feedback such as good use of locations and good narrative, show that our target audience is pleased with what we have created and that also we have fit the conventions well such as locations and what type of narrative should be involved. To improve, from our feedback, I think that we could have used some more locations. The use of more locations would also fit the genre of music videos well because in rap music videos, there are often numerous locations that either the narrative is played out in or where the artist is performing.

      

Evaluation question 1 script

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

In our music video of ‘Not Afraid’ by Eminem, we subvert but also support many forms, stereotypes and conventions of typical rap music videos.

 

What is a convention?

A technique used to construct a meaning within a music video. This can be done in 2 ways, technical and symbolic

·         Technical is how equipment used affects the meaning, such as:
o   Editing such as with the beat or long lasting shots
o   Sounds such as diegetic and non-diegetic sounds, we decided to not use any non-diegetic sounds, as it would detract from the atmosphere that we are building
o   Camera angles such as a long tracking shot which we included in our video – this isn’t used often in music videos, instead short tracking shots are used. We decided using a long tracking shot so we could see the whole of the character and their whole body language. This links into symbolic conventions
·         Symbolic is the use of facial expressions, body language, and other more subtle hints such as mise-en-scene in which

Here are some general forms and conventions used within rap music videos:

·         Casual clothing, nothing too characterised
·         Sections of direct contact with the camera
·         Artists spend a lot of time looking straight into the camera and breaking the 4th wall as if they are having a conversation with the audience
·         Props regarding costume tend to be used, e.g. jewellery
·         Show a clear display of emotions- if the tone of the song is angry, the artist is likely to present this through their gestures and facial expressions
·         Strong editing cuts between concept and narrative (if the aim of the video is for the audience to try and distinguish between two different views)
·         Other artists tend to be featured in the video

 

For example, we subvert conventions such as a lack of weapons, money and cars. This is down to many reasons such as budget but mainly due to the fact that it wouldn’t suit our music videos narrative if it was introduced.

 

Other conventions and stereotypes that we subvert are:
·         Crime
·         Guns and other weapons
·         Drugs
·         Women
·         Police
 

Our music video is a mixture of performance and narrative. The protagonist is a teenage boy, Declan, who is contemplating suicide. This is a current topic in today’s society, so will hopefully portray a message. This is similar to other rap videos, such as ‘Alright’ by Kendrick Lamar portraying the message of racial discrimination, another current topic in today’s society.

We have used a linear narrative structure as it suits the flow of the song well but also builds up tension of what will happen. We have also decided to break up tension by adding performance shots in between the chorus, making the audience want to know what is going to happen in the next verse. This kind of suspense isn’t common within rap music videos, as they are usually performance based.

 

In our music video we have also decided upon using Todorov’s theory of equilibrium where we see what causes him to contemplate suicide, him trying to commit suicide, and then the aftermath which results in a peaceful end. This allows for a structured storyline for our music video, common in many other rap videos that contain a mix of both narrative and performance.

Exporting our A2 media music video

Once the video had been successfully edited, I then had to export the video so that it could be put onto YouTube. To do this I used the built in export feature in Adobe Premiere Pro to export my file as an mp4 format in h.264 quality and maximum render quality. I used these setting so that I could get the best quality video possible onto YouTube for my audience to watch.

A2 Media 'Not Afraid' Magazine Cover

A2 Media 'Not Afraid' CD Cover

Orgainsation for last day of filming

Here are text messages sent between our actors and also members of our group to organise for our filming session:

Editing our A2 media part 2

Once the successful filming had been completed, I had to go back into the media lab and continue editing on Adobe Premiere Pro.

The editing process was pretty straight forward due to the fact that I had to simply import the footage that had recently been filmed and then place it into the gaps on the timeline in the project. This saved a lot of time due to the fact that I knew where I had to place the footage and exactly how long the clip had to last for.

The only problem with the editing process was that during the bottle smash scene, it was near impossible to see the bottle land on the floor, you could only see it being thrown against the wall due to lighting issues. To fix this I added the sound effect of the bottle smashing into the sequence so that the audience knew that the bottle was actually being smashed.

Overall, it was a very successful editing session. I then had to export the video onto YouTube...

Filming our A2 media part 2

Once I had finished editing the original clips that we filmed, I soon realise that we didn't actually have enough footage to fill certain narrative parts. In addition to this, some of the shots were not of the highest quality that we would expect so this meant that we had to re-film those sections as well to get the highest music video quality possible.

Before we had started filming I had previously hired out any equipment needed for this task. This included an SD card, a camera (Canon DSLR with 100m zoom lens), a tripod (for steadier shots) and also props necessary such as a vodka bottle filled with water, a wallet that would be stolen and also clothing such as hoodies and coats. I also took the storyboard and shooting script along so that we knew what we were doing and what shots to take.

We started off by getting some of our schoolmates to act in the parts that we hadn't already filmed, for example the parts down the alleyway with the bullies. The alley was an ideal location as it was extremely close to our school for convenience of actors and also a suitable location within rap music conventions. In this location we started to film the rest of the shots we needed.

Overall the shots on the day were extremely positive and went exactly how we planned, especially as we only had one take to film the vodka bottle being smashed!

Editing Our A2 Media Coursework Screenshots

Screenshot 1

Here we can see a break in the editing timeline. This is where I have left gaps for the verses in order to make sure that the lip syncing was in the correct position in order for it to look realistic.

 

Screenshot 2

Here we can see that the clips have been rendered. This is so they are at a high quality when I try to edit them and so that they don't stop freezing. We an se that the clip is rendered because of the green line below the timeline. If this was red, then it means that the clip below hasn't been rendered. This is a feature of a professional piece of software such as Adobe Premiere Pro which gives me an advantage if I were using this software instead of a less advanced kit such as iMovie

Screenshot 3

In this screenshot we can see that one of the clips has had an effect added to it, such as an increase in speed. We can see this by the clip being green instead of its usual blue colour. This is because the clip is nested in order to then add an effect that we want. This feature helps to make clips with effects stand out so we know in the future which clips have been edited.