Evaluation: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? Pt 6

After analysing the genetic conventions I then continued to analyse a number of CD covers in the genre of 2Tone Ska, including ‘The Specials’, ‘The Selector’ and also a Ska compilation album. From textually analysing these covers I recognised the conventions of the genre- the colours of black and white were used, chequered squares were dominate and a clear convention in all covers and the use of silhouettes were a common convention of the genre. The fonts on all covers were bold and extremely eye catching from the audience.

The 2Tone Ska conventions I followed for my DVD cover included the use of silhouettes- I took a photo of the band and change the colour overlay one to white and the other to black to use the convention of black and white as well. Another convention I used from the genre included the use of chequered squares however I decided to develop this convention by adding colour to the convention and developing it for a modern female audience in the age range of (14 to 18). The font I used was bold and eye catching like the genre of Ska but I decided to develop this further with bright colours appealing to my audience. My main idea to develop the conventions of the genre was the use of colour in my DVD cover. I then applied the ideas from my DVD cover to my magazine advert for the marketing of the product.

Here you can see the font and colours mentioned above -

Evaluation: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? Pt 5

Before the creation of my ancillary tasks, I researched into the genetic conventions of album covers and magazine adverts for the marketing of the album. I analysed the conventions of a mainstream artists album cover which was ‘Jay-Zs’. From this research I was made aware of the common genetic conventions of a CD cover and back cover. These included the artists/bands album, album title, track-listings, barcode, record labels logo, format, copyright details and website addresses. I successfully followed the forms and conventions of a CD cover in this aspect.

Evaluation: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? Pt 4

Another factor that shows my media product challenging the conventions of the Ska genre in the music video is the performance factor. We have the band performing in the music video but not as often as you would conventionally see it in bands belonging to the Ska genre. Although the band is present with close ups of the bands instruments and performing- which is a common in the genre, we haven’t embraced this and used it totally throughout our music video. We were focusing on matching the lyrics with footage to create a sense of narrative and humour for the audience. We decided to give our audience more by animating the lyrics with live action that would illustrate what the lyrics say. To break the conventions further we used stop motion animation which hasn’t been used before in the genre of Ska.

Furthermore, I followed 2Tone Ska’s forms and conventions throughout my media product through the use of chequered squares and also split screens throughout my music video. I wanted to start a new movement of genre, re-inventing genres for a modern audience.

Evaluation: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? Pt 3

An extremely strong way that my media product challenges the conventions of the Ska genre is the image presented of my band. Ska is a male dominant genre with very little females present in the genre, so we wanted to break the conventions of 2Tone Ska and use an all female band. Influence came from ‘The Selector’, as band that features a main female vocalist as while as the Ska-Pop band that brought Ska to a modern audience in the 1990’s, ‘No Doubt’ which features a female main vocalist too. Creating an all female Ska band would modernise the genre completely and directly break the conventions of the male originated genre. As we are breaking the conventions with female members, I used elements that would complement the changing of gender for example the use of bright colours such as pink, purple and yellow featured in my music video as well as in my ancillary tasks.

Furthermore, in my ancillary task I had symbols of hearts and stars amongst other feminine elements that would challenge the genre of Ska, as these elements would have never been related to the genre. I am re-inventing the genre for a modern audience, developing the genre from a niche market to a more mass market. Taking direct personal inspiration for the indie pop girl band ‘The Veronicas’ .

Evaluation: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? Pt 2

There are various ways my media products use, develop and challenge forms and conventions of real media products. I wanted to create a media product that develops and challenges the conventions of the Ska genre, modernising and re-inventing the genre for a current, contemporary audience. The main way I did this was through the use of colour, I challenged the conventions of Ska by moving away from the conventional black and white throughout the whole promotional package and replaced it with bright colours. Although black and white is still present in my media products, the eye catching bright colours dominant, emphasise the progression of the genre, moving the genre into pop -collaborating conventions of two genres.

Evaluation: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? Pt1

Music Videos are a successful way of promoting music acts, marketing their image, sound and appeal to the audience. Music Videos are a strong way to focus on the representation of an artist or band. Along with Music Videos promotional products used to market acts and complete a marketing package include album covers, posters and other forms of merchandise. As part of my Preliminary task I created a Music Video, I also created a front and back cover to a DVD album, the inside cover to the album, a promotional magazine advert marketing the release of the album alongside other extra marketing materials - making up my Ancillary task.

Drawing from my audience research I decided to produce a Music Video with the chosen genre of Ska, with the sub genre of 2Tone. I created a Music Video in a group to the song ‘Baggy Trousers’ by Madness. Before the creation of my Music Video I undertook countless amount of research into the conventions of a Music Video. I analysed low budget Music Video to get a feel for what I could be producing with no budget behind my Music Video. I then researched into the common conventions of editing types that I might follow throughout my Music Video- Carol Vernallis Theory of the Kindest Cut, which is an argument into pop music videos relating to continuity and montage editing. I was then made aware of Bordwells and Thompson’s Theory with is applied to Music Videos, I researched into the four categories of the film editing which were Graphic, Rhythmic, Spatial and Temporal. Using these theories I analysed a Music Video by Radiohead “Rabbit In Your Headlights”. From this research I was made aware of the conventions of editing a Music Video that I would follow and challenge when producing my Music Video.

My music video follows form and conventions of a real media product- a music video in various ways. My media product conforms to the conventions of Bordwell’s and Thompson’s idea of Rhythmic editing. The editing of my music video matches the pace and tempo of the music used. Another form and convention that my product follows from a music video is the use of shots matching the lyrics of the music video- Illustration. I have achieved this however I did not create a set narrative throughout my music video, as I believe my audience would get ‘bored’ or uninterested in the video if we decided to create a set narrative to follow.

Another approach to my research into Music Video, I had to understand the forms and conventions of a Music Video’s as a media product. Before choosing my genre of music to produce a Music Video on, from my audience research I was made aware the three most popular genres of music amongst the audience who completed my questionnaire. I then analysed Music Videos from the genres of pop, rock and indie, to become aware of the conventions of these genres. I did the same analysis but into Ska Music Video’s so I was aware of the conventions I could use, develop and challenge with my music video.

See Research and Planning section of blog for evidence.

Filming

In today’s recording session I filmed Sheriece and Stacey using two cameras and set them up in two different positions. One was set up in front of them- mid shot and the other was a high angle shot with a slight over the shoulder. We remembered to burn the track on a CD so that Sheriece and Stacey could sing at the same time and pace of the track. We also used a studio light as it improved the lighting and overall presentation of the filming. We filmed in a classroom as it related to the lyrics of the song and the audience would recognize that we were in a school- with the tables and chairs in row along with computers in the background.

We decided to set the shots up so that Sheriece and Stacey (the band members) would be sitting at a desk, acting like there were doing work and then directly singing to the camera with energetic and happy facial expressions- performing to the audience and engaging them.

Drawing again on our stop motion ideas, we filmed a stop motion sequence that we would use in our music video- it was a mid shot of a piece of paper on a desk with writing on it- relating to the lyrics and band.

Filming

Today we filmed a section to use to improve our video and wanted to focus mainly on the mise-en-scene. We went to a science classroom that had posters, diagrams on the wall and other elements. This was important as the audience would create a link between the music video and mise-en-scene of a classroom, as well as the lyrics relating to the mise-en-scene.

The shots we filmed today were mid shots and close ups of the main singer of the band singing the song, we also filmed an empty classroom with a pan shot. To finish this recording session we decided to experiment more with the stop motion used in our music video- so we filmed a white board with the words ‘Baggy Trousers’ on it and will edit it in a stop motion style.

Audience Feedback

To improve our music video we carried out an audience feedback session, which included constructive criticism to help us improve our media product. We invited audience members who weren't media students and some were a part of our target audience to fully gain benefits from this session of feedback.

Filming

When speaking about re-shooting we decided to film in the schools film club, so for this session we filmed a groups of students in film club who were wearing school uniform. We decided to set the classroom up as a generic classroom would be set up- re-arranging the chairs and tables into lines. So the audience would be able to recognise that the location was a traditional classroom.

We spoke to the students involved in filming at the time and told them what we wanted to achieve- them sitting in the room at desks. We filmed them sitting in one location and then got them to move to another location and so on. So when we come to edit this we would use stop motion so it would look like the students moving seats without seeing them actually do so.

The camera was set up in a high angle on a table with a long shot so the whole location could be seen in the shots. We also used a studio light to improve the lighting used in this sequence. Once we achieved what we wanted we then filmed another sequence.

From the same angle and shot type we filmed the students sitting down at the desks and introduced Sheriece and Stacey into the sequence. So they would appear with them and also showing them messing around and being ‘mad’ relating to our bands representation, as we needed to make this clearer which we were made aware from by are audience feedback.