4. How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

Blogger: 

The blog format that we used for our coursework was called blogger. Blogger helped me when I was trying to create my ideas for my music video, DIGIPAK and advert. It helped plan out what I was going to do with them in a clear structure. I could easily post my ideas and concepts and look back on them to help me when creating my product and ancillary texts. 

Photoshop: 

I used Photoshop to edit my DIGIPAK and advert, I had used Photoshop before for one of my other subjects but it was a year ago so I had forgotten how to do most things such as how to change the contrast and brightness, how to work the layers, how to give it an outer glow and how to use most of the tools. So at first I found it quite hard but then after using it and been shown how to use it I started to remember how it worked. Photoshop was very useful in creating our ancillary texts as it made it look more professional. Below there is me using Photoshop and the Photoshop layout: 

Final cut express 

I have also used final cut express before in my AS work therefore I was quite comfortable in using it however had forgotten some things but soon remembered how when shown. Having used it before made it a lot easier to use than last year as I knew how to cut footage and use all the effects such as dissolving in and out and fading in and out. I also knew how to insert the footage and insert the music I needed for my video. The only new thing I had to learn was how to lip sync, I found this very hard to do and looking at my video I can see I could of done it better, but it was not completely out of time. I also felt that I didn't shoot enough good footage for the length of the song therefore making it harder for me to cut out stuff out. 

YouTube

I used YouTube a lot when researching and planning for my music video. I used it to look up other music videos to see the conventions used in creating a music video, I also could see the R&B conventions used in making my music video so that it would appeal to my genre. I could see how the music videos had been edited and structured and then apply this to my own production.

Google

I also used Google a lot when researching and planning for my main product and ancillary texts. I could use it to look up the conventions of a DIGIPAK, my magazine advert and my music video. I could also look up pictures of what different artists DIGIPAK's and adverts where like so I could create mine similar to make it look more professional. I also used it to get pictures such as bar codes and iTunes logo to put on my ancillary texts. 

2. How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

3. What have you learned from your audience feedback?

I held a focus group in order to gain target audience feedback, I interviewed them immediately after they had watched my music video and gained their views and opinions of my work. 

I have done a table showing the positives and negatives of my music video. 

 I also asked what genre they thought the music video portrayed and what music channel my music video would most likely be shown on. I've shown this through charts. 

I also asked their opinion on my DIGIPAK and magazine advert, and wrote their feedback onto mind maps. 

The feedback I mainly got was that the original images where good and that I stuck to a theme with my DIGIPAK and poster. But they said that it could be a bit plain. They also said I should have used more R&B conventions as through it you can not clearly see the genre. 

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media product? (DIGIPAK & magazine advert)

The advertisement i created for my DIGIPAK of artist followed various conventions of promotional posters, the central image of 'Agnes' sets the audiences focus and establishes the artist. I also made sure that the DIGIPAK and the advert had similarities so that people would recognise the album. I included a review from an institution of which I imagine the target audience of Agnes to value there opinion. I also used a hashtag which is another modern convention this is so I can promote my artist and also show her to be quite modern and up coming and this is often how R&B artists want to show off.  I challenged the conventions by using pastel colours which not be used in a typical R&B advert, I also did not show off her sexuality or have her showing off her body which most female R&B artists like to do.

I used a lot of pink in my DIGIPAK to represent femininity, I used pictures of the artist so that she is recognisable and a lot of female R&B artists usually include a lot of photos of themselves on their albums. I also used images to represent love which is what most female R&B artists use as a theme. I also put a bar code on my DIGIPAK which is a modern convention due to the modern technological way of selling artist's music today. I challenged the usual conventions by not making my artist where a limited amount of clothes and not portray her in a provocative way, I also did not represent wealth through jewellery and mise en scene but went for a more natural look which is not usual for female R&B artists.

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products (music video)

Reflection on my advert

I think my advert sold my brand well and related to my DIGIPAK well as it had the same colour theme, and the artist looked similar in the picture. I liked how it didn't just sell the album but also sold my artist. I thought it may have looked a bit plain and maybe i should of added more to it. But i thought the simplicity added to the brand and represented her innocence and also showed that it was all about her. I think it sold my artist well. I think the language I use on the advert such as the coming out date and the review from glamour magazine made it look more professional and more like an advert. I also used a hashtag to keep up with the new technology and also show that she was well known and people tweet about her and promote my artist. Having the DIGIPAK on my advert makes it sure people know what they are looking for and what album this advert is promoting.

Original Images for magazine advert

I used some of the images that I had already shot for my DIGIPAK as they where effective pictures. I also wanted my artist to look the same as she did in the DIGIPAK so that my advert would relate to it. I chose the second last photo as I thought the lighting was good, she also looked innocent and feminine and that's what image I wanted to sell

Advert sketches

I wanted to keep the pink theme on my advert, I also wanted to make sure that the DIGIPAK looked similar to the advert making sure that you could recognise the album through the magazine advert. So i decided I could defiantly not use the bottom right one as it not relate to the DIGIPAK, I also didn't want it to be completely the same so I decided not to use the heart tunnel for it as I wanted to sell the artist not just album. I decided to go with the bottom left one as it sold her and also sold the DIGIPAK and I could also feature a picture of the DIGIPAK without it looking out of place.

Rhianna has used a lot of pink to attract to her female audience and also to be consistent with her album which I will take into consideration. As my DIGIPAK has a pink colour theme I was include this in my advert. This advert also includes a picture of the artist selling her which I will also do. The close up sells her beauty also which I would like to do. She also looks very similar to the photo she uses in her album so I should maybe make my artist look similar and be wearing the same clothes she is wearing the DIGIPAK so that the album is recognisable from advert. It also uses the artists name so that she is selling herself not just the album.
Her facial expressions are very passive and making her look innocent, I also want to include this innocence in my advert as that's what my artist brand is about. The use of the flower also attracts female audiences and shows off her femininity which is what I would like to do with my artist.

Conventions of the magazine advert form

It is A4 in size and usually includes the image of the artist/band or key logo and the image of the actual album/ release item. It has the availability in stores/online/price it also tells the reader the special features the DIGIPAK includes and also shows the record label the album/artist is associated with.

The point of a magazine advert it to advertise there new album and to advertise the artist, the advert should also be in a magazine best suited for the artist image as it wants to attract the right target audience. For example for my advert I would include it in a magazine targeted for teenage girls who would be interested in love and celebrities. There needs to be a consistent branding throughout all of the advertising for the artist which will then be more recognisable to their audiences. 

Reflection on your DIGIPAK

I thought my DIGIPAK represented my brand image very well by the use of pink which showed the artist to be feminine and it also attracted a young female audience which is what I wanted. The use of hearts i used was to represent love which is featured a lot in my album. The close up on the front cover sold my artists image and showed that the album was all about her. The picture of the dove showed that she was being set free which is featured in my song which i used in my production. The heart tunnel represented she was lost and trapped in some way and i also used a train station in my music video and that reflected it. However I thought that my lyric book side was quite plain and I should of thought of something more effective rather that just a picture of her. The font I used for my DIGIPAK was feminine and glamorous which reflects my artist.

Taking my original images

I took my original images of my artist for my digipak outside in school as I would not be using the background on my digipak as i had already picked one. I did it outside so it would have good lighting and make the picture better quality. I took close ups of her and mid shots, ones that where feminine and up beat and ones that where more serious. I decided to use the more cheerful ones as I realised i was not just selling one song but a whole album. When cutting my pictures out to put onto my blog i regretted not taking the pictures on a plain background as it was harder for me to cut out the image. Also for some of my pictures the sun was in her eyes making my artists squint a little bit so this didn't have the best effect.

DIGIPAK sketches

I wanted to use a pink theme as my target audience was young girls, I also wanted to show off my artists femininity. I wanted to use hearts to represent that my album was about love. I used a lot of close ups to show my artists beauty and to also promote and sell her image so that the public would recognise her. I wanted to sell the artist. 

I chose the first one as my final design as I thought it represented love and also included my artist enough times. I also liked the dove included as it represented my artist being set free and in contrast to the front cover and back cover where she is trapped in tunnel. This is then giving off the idea that the album is about a girl in love who is being set free. 

Focus group feedback into brand image

I came up with 7 questions with the group to help me think of ideas for my digipak. The feedback was very helpful and it was also what I expected to hear, that the brand identity for my artists is more feminine and soft rather than feisty and independent.

How I can use language to address your audience

The language I should use on my magazine advert should include information about the album that I am selling, such as when it is coming out where it is available to buy. It should include a known song on the front so that it will interest the target audience more. Also include a review from a newspaper or magazine that my specific target audience would read. Having this on my magazine advert will make it look more professional and is what most adverts use and it will also attract my target audience. 

Conventions of the DIGIPAK form

1.  What is a DIGIPAK and how is it similar/different to an album cover?

The DIGIPAK has additional features and extras whereas a CD album doesn't, CD albums also usually have only two faces but DIGIPAK can have more.

2. What does a DIGIPAK net look like and how many faces are usual?

A DIGIPAK typically consists of a gatefold, with a paperboard or card stock outer binding, with one or more plastic trays attached to inside the generic. It is a 4 - 8 panel net that is eventually folded, so usually 4 - 8 faces on the DIGIPAK.

3. What do we usually find on the various faces of a DIGIPAK? 

On the front face you would usually have a picture of the artists advertising them, also the name of their CD. 
In the first inside face it usually has a slot for a lyric book
The middle inside face is where the CD is kept 
On the back it will have all the names of the songs featured on the CD also a bar code.

4. Does there need to be a connection between the faces of a DIGIPAK? 
There must be a clear connection between the faces to promote a brand and to make sense

Analysis and annotation of an album

The close up shot of the main artist I think is crucial as it sells the artist and shows her beauty and confidence in herself, the white colours shows purity and innocence . And the pink and red colours and the use of flowers shows love and romance that can featured in the album but also the red colours can show anger which could be shown in the songs. The red lips show danger as well as beauty and love.  The use of setting is very girly, the use of the garden shows her feminine side and her innocent side and the flowers represent beauty and how beautiful she is. It also represents romance and love. The bedroom setting shows the sexual side of her and appeals to the male gaze. She is also wearing very feline clothes that shows innocence and natural beauty. But it also shows off her body which shows he confidence in herself and shows off her sexuality. The typography is in capitals and bold therefore the title is memorable but it also has an elegance and delicacy to it as it quite faint. This album has a mix interpretation of her personality it shows glamour and confidence  through her jewellery and some the facial expressions that she is showing, but then also shows a vulnerable and delicate side to her through the use of flowers, settings and costume. Her looking straight at the camera shows her sexuality and also the pose of her with her fingers on her mouth shows her sexual side and her body language is provocative. 

This album cover links to my artist as it is an R&B artist and my genre is R&B. My album will also be quite feminine as the song is focused on the women. This album also represents love and romance which is also featured in my song. But the vulnerability shown on the album of Rihanna is shown in my song.