Note to Moderator

This my Advanced Portfolio that has recorded my progress throughout the construction of my Music Video.

Name: Wilson Wood

Candidate Number: 4048

School: Brentwood County High School

Year: 13

Evaluation Question #4 - How did you use Media Technologies in the Construction, Research, Planning and Evaluation Stages?

Evaluation Question #3 - What have you Learned from your Audience Feedback?

Evaluation Question #2 - How Effective is the Combination of your Media Product and Ancillary Texts?

Evaluation Question #1 - In What Ways does your Media Product Use, Develop or Challenge Forms and Conventions of Real Media Products?

Marcus Matthews - Get Down (Final Music Video Production)

After several drafts and audience feedback, we finally come to a final piece we believe to be a successful music video. We adapted from our second draft by incorporating further overlays of our artist. This kept our artist the main focus of the music video instead of the scenic backgrounds. Besides this, we additionally tweaked any more clips to ensure the lip syncing was in time as well as the shots. 

After multiple viewings, once we asked for feedback, it was very positive therefore this was believed to be our final production.

Digipak Design (Final)

Following up from our draft design, this is our final Digipak design. Although our draft was designed in InDesign, our official ancillary text was produced in Photoshop. This was because we found Photoshop to be more efficient and effective in what we wanted to create.

All was changed in the first draft as we believed it to be a weak product as it wouldn't intrigue the audience, in our opinion. We incorporated three black stripes across the inside covers to integrate synergy between the Digipak and music video. Additionally, we assimilated a mixture of high saturated/contrast and black & white themed images. By mixing the saturation/contrast to be higher, it enabled the images to stand out to the audience as it gave a juxtaposition to the black & white themed images. Black & white was affiliated with both the ancillary texts therefore creating further synergy across our products.

Advert (Final)

This is our other Ancillary Text, the Advert. We believe this Advert to be optimal due to the synergy values it holds. As it clearly correlates to both the Digipak and our Tour Dates poster, due to the main image being displayed across all three media texts. Numerous conventions can be shown across our poster; by conforming to these conventions, the audience won't be confused but find the poster to be easily noticeable and understanding.

Tour Date Poster (Final)

After creating our expected Ancillary Texts, the Advert and the Digipak, we went one step further and developed a Tour Dates Poster. This provided additional background to our artist, supplying the assumption to the audience our artist is in high demand and popular. In addition to this, the Poster symbolises the Digipak as the audience can make a clear recognition between the two due to them both using the same front covers; this thereby accumulates synergy.

Advert and Digipak Font Research

www.dafont.com is a website allowing users to download a wide variety of fonts and install them into Photoshop, for free. This website was ideal for locating the font we desired which was really refined and decorative to the specific theme and genre of our digipak. 

Below are some of what we have considered to use on our digipak and advert:

Longhaul is a basic font. The reason behind putting this font up for speculation, is because of its simplicity and boldness. It's easily read by the standard eye whilst having the ability to stand out.

Blackilisted incorporates a distorted style font. This style of font challenges the ordinary Pop conventions fonts such as Sans Serif. Therefore adding originality to our artist.

Road Rage is a font labelled under the 'Trash' category. By using this font, the digipak is able to encapsulate a sketchy but artistic vibe.

Digipak Draft

This is the first design of our Digipak, of which was created in InDesign. Iconography can be seen, displayed throughout the Digipak as it gives awareness to the audience of geographical locations as it reveals various landmarks located in London. A consistent use of our artist image covers numerous panels on the Digipak as it conforms to the conventions but also indicates to the audience who our artist is.

Weather Report Day 3

On day three of filming, we travelled to the local Skate Park, additionally adding to the Binary Opposition heard throughout the music video. Initially, the idea was to film Verse Two of which happened however due to our footage at Embankment Skate Park being significantly better we decided to use the surroundings as fillers for our music video as it intertwines with the "Urban Look".

Although its hard to see within the picture, it was very lightly snowing on this day of filming. This added disruption to the day as it would act as an outlier within our music video. However, as the day progressed, it continued to snow, therefore we decided to use the contrast in weather to convey the same effect of a Binary Opposition yet instead of Urban Vs Rural, it'd be Snow Vs Sun. Portraying the snow in the rural areas to the sun in the urban areas, creating a distinction.

Music Video Final Draft

Once we had considered the changes, the audience had given us, we a decision to sufficiently edit them into our production along with the rest of the unfinished clips. Besides this, we took it into our own hands to determine whether or not more overlays of our artist singing should be included. After a group decision, we chose to incorporate this as we believed it engaged the audience further and portrayed a more professional, eager and confident artist.

Weather Report Day 2

We travelled to Tower Bridge for our second day of filming. From filming at Tower Bridge, we could further expand our iconography and scenic features. We were able include the Tower Bridge itself we views of the River Thames in the background but also other iconic aspects of London such as the black taxi's and the big red London commuting buses whilst our artist performed Hook One and the Hook.

As acknowledged from our previous Weather Report, we used the same technology to guarantee the weather was suitable for our footage. As previewed by the image, it was bright and sunny with a slight breeze. This weather was good for us as it enabled us to get footage that wasn't dull or boring but uplifting.

Hook One

"I could draw you a picture

I could write all my fears

I could read you a scripture of tears"

Hook

"And i know no matter how much colder

Or how much i carry on my shoulders

As long as I'm standing, I'll be closer

Cause it ain't over, 'til its over

But we don't get down

No, we don't get down

We can turn this 'round

And maybe

Its today ah yeah"

Music Video Draft

After numerous location scouting, we gathered a diverse set of footage of which we edited together, After deciding we were happy with our first drafted results, we uploaded the video to YouTube to ensure a easy and accessible viewing for our audience, for audience feedback. We managed to receive a lot of positive feedback despite the incomplete production, since  several shot were unfinished especially the green screen aspects towards the end of the video as well as an introduction title for the name of the song and artist. We took all of their points into account and adapted these ideas in out final draft, as it all helped to boost our production to be even better.

Weather Report Day 1

This photo is taken from Day One, at Embankment. During this day of filming we were able to use the London Eye and Big Ben as iconic landmarks, in the background of our music video during Verse One. Even more so, we ventured to the popular Embankment Skate Park to gather footage for Verse Two; by going to this skate park, we were able to use the graffiti as it implemented a binary opposition for Urban Vs Rural.

Due to our organised and advanced planning, we had used the 'Weather Application' on the iPhone in combination with websites such as 'BBC Weather' to ensure the weather for suitable for our days’ worth of filming. By doing this, it guaranteed we didn't waste any time due to its ability of stopping us from filming because it might have rained when we didn't plan for it. However, as shown from the picture, the weather proved to be sunny and mild thus creating a successful day of filming.

Verse One

"Out there's a bird and it is singing

And outside of my window, theres a life

I feel like someone's talking to my spirit

They tell me that there's reason to survive"

Verse Two

"Cause all these scenes of grief got my head spinning'

And we're dancing on the edge of a knife

And could i be your hero or your villain

Uh, i guess it just depends in whose eyes"

Social Pages

We have had the opportunity to convey our artist across several trending social networks, for example;

One being Twitter.











The other being Facebook.











   

The Final, being Instagram.

The main reason,we decided to portray our artist across these three platforms is due to the fact that all three of this social media platforms are the top grossing worldwide. Therefore, our actor will be able to represent himself by presenting him to an extremely vast audience of which expands across multiple countries. In essence, not only will this give popularity to our artist but also allow us to use these social networks has a distribution platform, in that we are able to upload and promote the music videos onto the social media.

Typography Font Examples

After conducting numerous researched typographies of various artist, we as a group, produced a diverse set of fonts consisting of our artist name 'Marcus Matthews' or our artist's initials 'MM'. The set of fonts are all subject to portray similarities those we researched, for example; being unambigious and simple. 

Typography Research

From the typography mood board created, it is evident that the type of fonts each artist use are persistent and clear yet original. The reasoning for this is to upkeep their brand image, giving a representation of themselves to their audience. From doing this research, we can easily identify that simplicity and boldness is the key to recognition.

Digipak Analysis; 1975

At first glance, we can quite clearly understand that the band, 1975, are very simplistic but bold. They're not cutting around the edges and are getting straight to the point with this album, being the music.

The front cover features the album name and band name; being they're the same (1975). The colour scheme of white on black is minimalist yet it creates a spotlight effect, enhancing the name and allowing it to stand out. The studio setting and neon type sign connote their presence of urban and artistic influences.

The CD has the same font as the front cover, thereby maintaining the brand image. In addition, the band is sticking to their theme of minimalism as the CD is a two tone black of which is chosen specifically to keep their style of being clean-cut; emphasising their bands image of mystery.

The inside cover, reveals and features all the logo's and companies involved within the production of this album. By doing this it guarantee's recognition towards those who helped but also provides the band with a professional outlook as it can reassure the audience to be of good quality. An album of which doesn't look certified and efficient will acquire less sales and a rather insufficient amount of good feedback.

Lastly, the back cover is almost identical to the front cover.  The reason for this is to keep everything parallel and in the same theme, so nothing appears out of place. The only difference is the amount of songs put onto the back cover, all songs from the album. This feature is very conventional for a Digipak and it allows the audience to see what the album withholds but also makes it easier for them to find their preferred song; being efficient. Making the product quick and easy for the audience to use, will push the product to be more successful.

Digipak Analysis; Lana Del Ray - Born to Die

On Lana Del Ray's digipak, we can see her to be presented as a clean-cut, explicit artist. This is shown through her high-collared shirt and her Hollywood curls, denoting innocence. Although despite this, she represents the Laura Mulvey Theory as indicates area's of being a sex appeal, by the connotations of her red lipstick and slightly transparent shirt.

The front cover itself seems very contradictory of the album title ' Born to Die'. Considering the mise-en-scene of the dominant image is incorporating bright and high contrasting colours, which interprets the opposite of the meaning 'Born to Die' therefore introducing a fake or hidden ideology. This can be perceived as a type of mask. This juxtaposition, in both the name and the ideologies, is used to create doubt in who Lana Del Ray is; intriguing the audience. In addition, the baby blue denote innocence, although her facial expressions and the title suggest otherwise. Her facial expression is very emotionless and in connection with the low angle shot can imply that she has a form of power or dominance.

The CD itself has a pure white background with a variation of red roses. The white background, again, links to the artists innocence and purity. However the 'blood red' in the roses have a direct contrast to her representation of innocence as it connotes power, passion and love. Thereby when merged together, the high contrasting colours represent Lana Del Ray's persona.

The back cover is reinforced with the lyrics and song names of the album. The colour scheme present a very simplistic atmosphere. The audience is able to associate the colour red with lust or danger whereas the white and black font is used to compliment the red background, forcing the text to stand-out. Besides this, the capitalisation and boldness of text, in addition to the colours, help to catch the audience's eye.

Digipak Research

Merchandise Research