Evaluation

A2 media studies evaluation

A2 Media Studies evaluation part 2

Final Poster design

After looking through our designs we chose that this one was the best.  We used the same image that we used on the front cover of our digipak so that our audience would be able to make the connection between the two. 

Poster Designs

On all three of the poster designs, we decided to use simple typography for the band name, as this portrays that's the bands image is more important and simple font is generic to the indie rock genre.  We have also used the star rating of 5 as from our research we found that not only was the quite common on promotion posters but followed the codes and conventions of the indie genre. 

First draft - On our first draft we wasn't quite sure how to lay our poster out.  So we played around with some ideas so we could decide as a team what we both liked and disliked.  We decided that a long shot of the band would be best, as they are a fairly new band and their image is very important to promote them as a band and to increase their popularity.  We chose to put the name of the album at the top as we decided that this was important to encourage people to buy this particular album and by having the release date directly underneath meant that our target audience would know exactly what they were looking for when going to buy this album.  However, as the bands name is also important in promoting them, we decided to put it directly underneath the image in large, capital letters, written in a simple font to focus the audience's attention.  We chose for the text to be written in a light grey font, as this matched the black and white theme that we have used throughout our coursework. 

Second draft - For out second draft we decided to continue with the idea of having a long shot of the whole band showing them as a collective for the centre image.  We have put the band name in the centre at the top of page in lower case, fancy writing, which is fairly different to our first draft.  The fancy writing i feel challenges the generic conventions of the indie genre, and doesn't draw the audiences attention as much as we would have liked. It was however again written in light grey as this matched our colour scheme of black and white.  We have continued with the five star rating, as we think that this works well in attracting and focusing the audience's attention and again it is also generic to the indie rock genre.  The album title is directly under the band name, as we thought that this would attract our target audience best, as not only will it increase the band popularity because it'll be the first thing they read and they will then read the album title afterwards as it is directly under the band name.  We have decided to try and put the release date at the bottom, however I think that this suggests that this is of less importance when I feel that it is important. 

Third draft - This was our final draft and was the one that we decided would work the best in the promotion of our bands album.  We put the band dame in big capital letters at the top of the page, which will be written in light grey writing, so go with the overall theme of black and white.  The image on this one is a mid shot to allow us still add important stuff onto our poster. We decided that the album title worked best directly under the band name as our audience would instantly be able to see the album name which they would then associate with the band.  The five star rating was then placed directly underneath the album title, so our audience know just how good the band are, which encourages the audience to buy the album.  The release date has been moved to be directly underneath the image, which gives it more importance than be right at the bottom of the page, which is now the reviews from different music magazines, to show our target audience other peoples opinions. 

Final Digipak Design

This was our final products of our digipak that we made.  It is in black and white as this not only went with the generic conventions of the indie genre but it went with the overall theme of our products as our music video was also in black and white.  We chose to have lots of images of the band on show, as they are a new band so their appearance will help to increase their popularity. 

Cd Digipak Designs

As part of our coursework we needed to design a digipak for our band.  This could be done using 4 panels or 6 panels.  We chose to use 6 panels, as not only did this give us more of an opportunity to promote the band and their music successfully but it was also generic to the indie genre. 

 


First Draft - When designing the cover for our first draft, from our research alot of the albums withing the indie genre, didn't seem to actually involve an image of the band on the front cover, so because of this we decided to use one of the main props used in the band, which was the guitar.  We also involved all the other instruments on the back with mid shot images of the band inside.  This wasn't my favourite idea, as although this was generic to the indie genre, our band aren't well known and so by not having their image on show to audience meant that their popularity wouldn't be increasing. 

Second draft - Our second draft involved alot more images than our original draft, as we think that the image and appearance of the band is important in not only promoting their music, but also their popularity.  There is a long shot of all the band shown on the front and back cover and mid shots of the band inside, which allows the audience to see this 'new' band from different angles. 

Third draft - This one turned out to be the draft we decided to design.  There is a mid shot of the band on the front cover, with them standing in a diagonal line, with the lead signer dominating at the front, which we found our research was generic to the indie rock genre.  We have used 3 mid shots of the band to be used inside the album.  We did this as they're a fairly new band and their image is important in promoting them as a collective. On the back cover, we decided to try something a bit different, where there is a midshot of the band and the holding up a black board with the song titles on.  We did this as from our research we noticed that the indie genre tend to like to do things differently and are a bit more unique than other genres. 

Audience Feedback

Music Video
The feedback that we recieved off people were mainly very positive, with many people commenting on the colour scheme that we decided to use, as the black and white colour scheme was generic to the indie rock genre. 


We asked half a dozen people what they thought of our video, asking them to pick out the parts they enjoyed, parts they didn't and parts that they felt needed to be improved on.  Our audience commented saying that the colour scheme was very good in keeping with the conventions of the genre, and it fitted the song quite well. The tempo of the edits works very well with the tempo of the song, which made it easier to watch. They said that the shots of the band singing and playing allowed them to relate to the band members better, which again helps to immerse them in the song and the video.  They also noticed the one long shot, which was in coloured to help highlight the mood change. 


Our audience also said that the framing and camera movement was good and that the subjects are central and are dominant of the frame. They said that the pan movements used were smooth and professional, which helped to keep their focus.  A comment was made saying that technical effects used were good and that the use of speeding up the motion of the clip where the cars were sped up and the split screen helped to add another dynamic to the video, which mades it more interesting.  Pretty much all the people we talked about our video commented on the costumes and they thought that the conventions of the indie genre are adhered to for eg: skinny jeans are a typical trait of an indie band and therefore helps the audience to identify the genre easily.


However they said that the continuity could be improved for example the duck on the lake - one minute it's there and in the next shot has vanished. The synchronisation of sound and visuals could also be improved, as there were times for example in the split screen when the timing of the miming was slightly out.  The lighting was also commented on, as in parts there was low lighting, which made the video harder to see.  They have also said that due to the quirkiness of the song, they felt that the characters needed to look like they were enjoying themselves a bit more as in parts they looked a bit dull.  

Digipak - The feedback for our digipak was also positive. People said that they liked the way there was an image of each  member of the band and then a picture of all the band inside laughing together.  They said that it gave a postitive feel to the album.  They also said due to the high definition of the camera and the simplicity of the colours and typography our digipak had proffesional appearance, which made the album look appealing.  They also said that they really liked the originality of the back cover.

However, they said that it looked a bit too serious, compared to the quirkiness of the video.  They also said due to the age of the band members, that we should have used a more immature image that suited their appearance. 

Poster - Again, very postitive feedback was recieved.  They said that they really like the five star rating, as it gave the band a professional appearance and encouraged them to want to buy the album due to the positive reviews, which were written. 
However, they said that they would have liked to have seen a different image than the one they already saw on the digipak. 

Oh me, Oh my Music Video

Shooting Schedule

On our first day of filming, on the 18/10/11 we plan to film the majority of the band performance parts, which occur mainly on the choruses as these take up the most amount of time are are all set in the same place.

Storyboard

Timeline

Costume Planning

When planning for our music video, digipka and poster, our characters costumes were very important for our products appearance.  They play a big part in promoting our band/  As the our genre is indie rock, we chose clothes that were generic to the indie genre, which we found out from comparable products research.  These are the outifts that we came up with. 

Planning Stage 1

Band Profile
The Rusties are a northern band from East England tht have been together for 5 years. The Rusties developed their musical identinty during their school years,  when their school hosted a band competition!  John Iglle, the former singer/guitarist founded the band when he proposed to find two other band members.  Mikey Armaloyd and Todd Smith are th backing vocals, Mikey also plays the guitar and Todd the single drum.  


Their music genre is indie rock, which was chosen based on their influences; The Smiths, The Artic Monkeys and The Kooks.  


Three years since they have had appearances at the Arts Fest in Birmingham and The BBC introducing stage at reading festival along with local gigs, showing to be progressing further and increasing their popularity.  


'We want everyone to hear our music and know what we stand for ' says Smith


The 99s - Oh me, Oh my Lyrics


Intro 13 seconds

Everyday I seem to turn around I’m on my back again

Cause I know there’s something better than this room I’m living in

Looking outside the sky is black, I know a better place

Because if these four walls keep closing in, I’m wasting time and space

Oh me, oh my

You know that I’ve got something to say

Oh me, oh my

I think about it everyday

           

Oh me, oh my

You know that I’ll be changing my ways

Cause I dream of better days

Dirty old towns ringing in my ears and don’t I know just why

Cause there’s nothing changing in this town, the same grey northern sky

Gotta get away gotta start again or turn my life around

Cause if these four walls keep closing in, let’s ground that digger round

Oh me, oh my

You know that I’ve got something to say

Oh me, oh my

I think about it everyday

Oh me, oh my

You know that I’ll be changing my ways

Cause I dream of better days with you, now

(Guitar solo)

Oh me, oh my

You know that I got something to say

Oh me, oh my

I think about it everyday

Oh me, oh my

You know that I got something to say

Oh me, oh my

I think about it everyday

Oh me, oh my

You now that I’ll be changing my ways

Cause I dream of better days with you, now 

Final Synopsis of Music Video

What is the overall idea for your music video?

From the lyrics, the overall storyline of the song is about being stuck in a dead end town, doing the same thing everyday, knowing that there is something more.  To show the way their/he is feeling we are planning to use long shots of the atmosphere/place is is living in, to show the audience the place in which he is talking about, to allow them to relate with the song more.  The band's costumes will be stereotypical clothes for the indie genre, such as, Skinny jeans, pumps, leather jacket and vest.  There will be no particular main setting throughout the video as we are planning to use the streets, a bedroom and possibly a studio for the band performance.  We chose these because we think that they best relate to the song. 


We have decided that our video will be about an individual waking up everyday to the same surroundings, living everyday the same.  He is trapped in four walls, but knows there is much more to life.  During the second verse, the main artist will be frozen in the centre, whilst all the people in the background walking past will be on fast forward, to show the passing of time and to put emphasis on the fact that everything stays the same in his life. 

What generic devices are you using?

The generic devices that we are planning on using are:

• 
  

  Close up
• Point of view shots
• Straight cuts
• Zoom out
• Mid-shots

As a group we decided to use close ups to highlight certain objects or to allow the audience to focus on the artists facial expressions without any other distractions.  We will also use mid-shots, as this not only gives us a good view of the artists, but it also shows their surroundings, which will help in keeping the audience interested.   We have also chosen to use point of view shots as this will help us to develop a relationship with the audience as it is more personal. 

How will you conform/challenge convention?
Our video will follow the generic conventions through not only the use of black and white colours, but through the settings, such as the streets and by having performances shown throughout different parts of the video.  Our band/Artist will also be seen wearing generic clothing, such as skinny jeans, leather jacket and vests and perhaps some eye make up.

What narrative devices are you going to deploy in your music video?
For our video we decided to links the lyrics with the visuals, which was Andrew Goodwin.  We decided that our video was going to be illustrative, where our images provided a literal representation.

Are you going to challenge/conform to narrative convention?

We're going to conform to alot of the conventions, as this is needed to attract an audience that are interested in the indie genre, however, in parts such as the performance parts, we are going to challenge the conventions of the indie genre, because from our research alot of the performance parts are done outside, however we wanted our performance part to be a dark background like a basement, as we thought this would go best with the rest of other ideas. 

How are you going to appeal to audiences?

We will appeal to our audiences by using appropriate setting, as it's in the bands home town its much more personal, so the audience can feel more involved. From looking at our questionnaire we will use appropriate mise en scene to ensure a wide audience, such as generic indie clothing and make-up etc. We will also be using props such as instruments, which as our audience is interested in the indie genre, they will also be interested in their musical instruments.

How will you engage with the audience?
We will engage with the audience by using direct mode of address, as a way to create a relationship with our audiences and so that they can relate back.  We will also be using point of view shots, as not only is this more personal but it allows the audience to see things from the band/artists point of view.  Close-ups will also be used as this allows the audience to see their facial expressions of the band/artist, so allowing them to recognise and see exactly how they are feeling.

Could your music video be criticised in any way?
Our music is very laid back and fun, which straight away allows their to be a wider audience however, it could be criticised by being slightly immature so, therefore, more relatable to a younger audience rather than older.  

Institutions Research

Section 1

The music industry involves the production, distribution, and sale of music in a variety of forms as well as the promotion of live musical performance.   Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion, and enforcement of copyright protection of sound recordings and music videos.


There are four major record labels or major institutions that dominate music; these are Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group and EMI. Each of these labels consists of many smaller companies which work with different genres of music and are in different regions to help distribute their products more efficiently.

Section 2  

Our Chosen Institution is........

Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group. The label now operates as a division of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the United States (where it is now a largely rock-oriented label, much like in its heyday) and as a standalone label in the United Kingdom (also known as Island Records Group or Universal Island).   The bands signed to this label are commonly rock, indie and pop bands, particularly more the indie rowitck genre throughout its years. Examples of artists and bands signed to this label are;

The Feeling

Fire Avenged

Florence and the Machine

Mumford & Sons

Theory of a Deadman 

 Island Records is a record label that has indie/rock/pop bands signed to it already which gives them knowledge on the genre and also recognition throughout the labels fans for that genre. We have chosen Island Records as we think that it will help us to attract our target audience more successfully. 

Island Records promote and sell their artsist is through new technology.  The bands and artsists that are signed to Island Records have their music videos distributed  on sites such as youtube and on TV music channels to help promote them.  They have an easily accessible website which provides viewers with all the information they need to know about and artist/band.  They also have a facebook page which fans can 'like' , which includes photos, links, information, events and latest updates.  Stereotypically, facebook's main audience is young people, so by having island records as a facebook page helps to attract their target audience.  Not only do they have facebook but they have the latest social networking site 'Twitter', which has become hugely popular in the last year.  The enables a wider audience to become familiar with the record label.  You can listen to Island Records music on Spotify and they also have their own youtube channel, which is frequently updated with new uploads. 

Overall, We thought that Island Records was the most suitable label, because its supports other artists of the same genre in which we are using. 

Generic conventions of the indie rock genre

Indie rock genre

Audience Research

Audience Questionnaire

1.    How old are you?

2.   What is your gender?

Male                         Female

3.  What are your interests/hobbies?

Listening to music            Sports            Reading           Socialising

4.  How often do you listen to music?

Everyday               3 times a week               Rarely               Never

5.  Which is your preferred band/artist?

Arctic Monkeys     The Klaxons     The Kooks     Kings Of Leon     Scouting For Girls          Other?................................

6.  Do you watch Music videos?      Yes             No

7.   If so, how do you watch music videos?

iTunes              You Tube               Illegal Download               CDs

8.  When are you most likely to watch music videos?
    ..............................................................................................................................................................

9. Why do you watch music videos?
    ...............................................................................................................................................................

10)           Which is your preferred music channel?

Viva      MTV       Kerrang!     E4       Other?.....................

11. When watching a music video for an indie band would you expect the the artist to appear in the music video?

Yes           No

12.How many band members would you expect to see in a typical indie band?     

1      2       3     4      5    Other?.......................

13.Do you think that and indie band consists of a particular gender? Which?

14.What clothes/make up etc would you expect the artist to be wearing in the indie genre?
     ...........................................................................................................................................................

15.What instruments do you expect to see?
     ...........................................................................................................................................................

16.Do you like to see close ups of the singers/musicians?
     ............................................................................................................................................................

17.Do you prefer the music video to follow a narrative/story or to be more non-linear?  Yes     No

18.Do you think it is more effective in portraying the indie genre if the video is in black and white or colour?
     ..............................................................................................................................................................

19.Do you prefer the visuals to be linked with the lyrics or if there is no connection? Why? .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

20.How do you listen to your music?

Radio               Computer              Mp3/iPod               TV

21.Would you rather listen to introducing acts or well-known artists?

Introducing              Well Known

22.What is most likely to persuade you to buy an album? Why? ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

23.What would you expect to see on a CD cover? ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

24.What colours would you associate with an indie album?

25.What type of font would you expect to see on an indie album?

Big and bold        SIMPLE       Small and neat       fancy        script        style

      Other?................................................................................................................

26.Do you prefer to download music or to buy an  album/CD?

....................................................................................................................................................

Questionnaire findings

To gain audience research we split the questionnaires and distributed them to the class to find out the different views from different people. We find that a questionnaire was a very useful way to gain important information which we can take note of and make sure we apply some of the answers to our product. We made graphs on Microsoft word and Excel to conclude our findings:

1. How old are you?

2. What is your gender?

3. What are your interests/hobbies?

4. How often do you listen to music?

5. Which is your preferred band/artist?

6. Do you watch music videos?

7. If so, how do you watch music videos?

8.When are you most likely to watch music videos?

The was various answers from the questionnaire. People are most likely to watch music videos when; doing homework, when bored, in their free time, they are at home, when it suits their mood and also when they have nothing else to do.

9. Why do you watch music videos?

People said they watch music videos for different reasons. They said they watched them for entertainment, to see band members, because they are bored, because they enjoy them and because they are also interested to see what the lyrics are portrayed as.

10. Which is your preferred music channel?

Summary Of Findings

11. When watching a music video for an indie band would you expect the artist to appear in the music video?

Every person that answered they questionnaire said that they expected to see the artist to appear in the music video.

12. How many band members would you expect to see in a typical indie band?

13. Do you think that an indie band consists of a particular gender? Which?

Out of all the people we asked 20 of them said they thet think an indie band consists of males, whereas only 1 person said that they didn't think an indie band consisted of any gender.

14. What clothes/make up etc would you expct the artist to be wearing in the indie genre?

There were various answers for this question, they included; dark colours, checkered shirts, heavy eye make-up, skinny jeans ear strechers, nice stylish hair, casual but fashionable, band tees, chinos, prined t-shirts, toms and leather jackets.

15. What instruments do you expect to see?

16. Do you like to see close ups of the singers/musicians?All of the people we asked said tat they would like to see close ups of the singer/musician.

17. Do you prefer the music video to follow a narrative/stroy or to be more non-linear?

18. Do you think that is is more effective in portraying the indie genre if the video is in black and white or colour?

19. Do you prefer the visuals to be linked with the lyrics or if there is no connection? Why?

Everybody we asked said that they prefer the lyrics to be linked with the visuals.

20. How do you listen do your music?

21. Would you rather listen to inroducing acts or well-known artists?

22. What is most likely to persuade you to buy an album? Why?

There was various answers for this question which include; album reviews, the front cover, the quality of the songs, seeing the videos, likeable artist/band, the price, track listing on the back to see if there are any noticable songs and originality.

23. What would you expect to see on a CD cover?

People said that they would expect to see the band, the name of the artist/band and artwork. They also said that they would expect to see something different on a CD cover.

24. What colours would you associate with an indie album?

25. What type of font would you expect to see on an indie album?

26. Do you prefer to download music or to buy an album/CD?