Amar Dhokia

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Self - Evaluation

In what Ways does your media product, use, develop or challenge forms and conventions
of real media products?
In our music video & ancillary products (digipack & magazine advert), we have managed to
represent, challenge & develop the various conventions of our respective genre. Our genre
could be considered as a hybrid that is formed from a combination of three genres, these
genres are: rock, indie & pop. We have therefore adapted our media products throughout
both the planning & pre/post production stages to a degree whereby the genre & its
conventions become comprehensible to our target & sub-audience.
Our main product was represented in the form of a music video. As our music video was
heavily influenced & constructed from a combination of conventions from Rock, pop &
indie, we decided to architect our work on an era in which pop indie/rock was at its prime,
we identified this period to be between the late 1960's & the 1970's through our secondary
research due to successful emergence of artists such as 'The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and
Fleetwood Mac. This therefore had a considerable impact on moulding the narrative, lyrics
and visual codes of our production. Our narrative consists of the protagonist, who is in the
mix of what appears to be a shattered relationship as he attempts to cope without his
partner. This particular narrative structure is conventional to the genre, a recent media
product that employs a similar narrative is the Arctic Monkey's 'Why'd You Only Call Me
When You're High?'. The cause of the break-up was due to the protagonists practice of
drugs, this is relevant to the 1960's & 1970's as drugs were wildly popular at the time both
amongst average citizens and musical artists alike, such as Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Pink
Floyd, Jefferson Airplane and many others who were renowned for their exhibition of drugs
through their music products.





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During the Filming and pre-production stages of our music video, we used our skills gained
from our AS production to benefit from an extensive array of camera shots, angles,
movements and compositions in order to add some variety & ensure that the viewer
remains engrossed throughout. However the selection of shot varies heavily between the
bands performance scenes & the narrative. During the filming of the narrative we had a
relatively structured plan in regards to camera shots & angles as we used our script and
storyboards as guidelines. The narrative consisted mainly of extreme close ups, mid shots,
and canted angles etc. An extreme close up was used to film the protagonist's eye shortly
after consuming the drugs, this was done in order to give the audience a greater sense of
the protagonists current mental & physical state, we did this by creating an eye dilation
effect through after effects. We also used mid shots throughout our sequence as seen in the
'break - up' scene and 'domestic violence' scene. We used these mid shots as they allow us
to represent a relationship between the character and its surroundings. While filming the
performance aspect of our music video we had given ourselves more freedom to perform
more drastic & expressive movements, this section of filming consisted of various crane
shots, tracking shots, low angle, high angle, eye level shots and mid shots. Throughout our
music video we used a deep variety of camera angles to aid the narrative and the audience
by creating an intended signal e.g. low angle shot to signify power etc). However, as well as
supplying the audience with valuable information in respect to the characters power, we
also used camera angles to show a characters facial expression/emotion. All the shots used
within our music video would be considered as conventional as we both developed and
challenged the generic traits of the genre.









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During the editing period of our music video within the post-production stage, we edited
both sounds & visuals in order to complete our music video. Firstly, we removed all diegetic
sound that was apparent as of when the music was playing (excluding the prelude - where
no music is played), a similar example of this is witnessed in Eminem's 'Stan' music video. In
amongst the prologue, we added an asynchronous sound effect similar to a high pitched
white noise (as those used during 'Saving Private Ryan' & 'Tropic Thunder' battle scenes) in
order to portray a sense of disorientation and panic, this was implemented during the
'break-up' scene and was used as a sound sting to attract the audience. As we had removed
all diegetic sounds from scenes filmed for the performance aspect of our video, we did this
so we could lip-sync the bands performance to the bands pre-recorded studio version of
their song as this give a crisper & clearer sound then the originally proposed live
performance. Therefore, in order to make this task easier on ourselves, we got the band to
mimic playing live alongside to the pre-recorded version, this alleviated the lip-syncing
process. As well as performing editing on the audio, we also had to carry out extensive
editing on the visuals e.g. cutting & trimming of clips, as well as Special FX/CGI. CGI were
used in various scenes of our products, one example were CGI is visible is the shot which
shows the protagonists eye dilating, we did this to represent how mentally unstable the
protagonists is after consuming the drug. We were inspired to include this within our own
work after viewing a similar concept in Calvin Harris's 'We Found Love' music video, where
the protagonist eye can be seen dilating. Another example of CGI within our main product,
is the fighting 'hologram' scene, where the protagonist can be seen be seen abusing the
female in the form of a hologram to represent the protagonists subconscious. Throughout
our completion of post-production we used Adobe after effects heavily to perform effects
on the shots taken with a greenscreen. The use of the greenscreen allowed us to further
express our narrative by giving an authentic experience in regards to surrealism. We were
encouraged to utilise the greenscreen and its features after viewing it's capabilities in Katy
Perry's 'E.T' music video, as well as other media texts such as 'Avatar' and '21 jump Street'.
Final Cut was another program frequently used in order to cut our video, as well as adding
vital transitions between scenes such as: cross dissolves fades etc. The various forms of
editing practised are highly conventional to both music videos and the genre, this is
primarily outlined by Goodwin's theory.




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The narrative for our music video was structured on a narrative theory, one that was argued
by Todorov, Todorov's equilibrium. Todorov's equilibrium states that all stories begin with
equilibrium where any potential opposing forces are in balance. This is then disrupted by
some event and then a new equilibrium is in place. The equilibrium of our narrative is the
protagonist's relationship (equilibrium), a disequilibrium occurs when the protagonist's
girlfriend finds his drugs (disruption of equilibrium), we then see the protagonist slump
down and stare blankly at the drugs (realisation of disruption), protagonist taking the drugs
in order to flee from the problem (attempt to repair disruption) and finally a new
equilibrium is reached when the protagonist's sees what could potentially happen if his drug
taking habits were to continue. A similar example of a replicable narrative structure in use is
in Bastille's Pompeii' music video. This narrative provides both a simple but effective
message in respect that if there are any problems, you must try to tackle & overcome them,
otherwise these problems will never leave you as drugs is only a short term solution to
avoiding the problem. This gives a clear indication to the audience that if they do come
across any problems in life, manoeuvring them by taking drugs will not resolve the issue.
This is relatable to our target audience, as they are at an age where drugs may be
potentially pressured onto them from fellow peers, it is therefore vitally important that we
do not promote or encourage the use of drugs through the narrative.
We have used various approaches for uses and gratifications theory in order for the
audience to gain specific gratifications. One gratification we believe that our music video
offers is escapism, as the audiences senses are partially focused on our product due to the
realistic effects to portray signs of hallucinations. Another gratification that the viewer can
gain from our music video is audience surveillance, as the viewer gains a rough
understanding of the world around them, as they can see the effects that drugs have, not
only on the individual, but their loved ones as seen through the 'hologram' fight.
Additionally, our music video also has links to the Hypodermic Needle theory as we are
'injecting' the audience with the idea that drug taking is not a sizeable resolution to any
problems they may encounter in life, ultimately discouraging the audience to get involved
with drugs. This theory was similarly used in & amongst the narrative of the Arctic Monkeys
'Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?' music video, whereby the protagonists
consumption of drugs lead to greater problems of a bad situation. This makes our viewers
members of a passive audience.



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Furthermore, we used Levi Strauss' binary oppositions in our music video by conflicting two
qualities. We did this by using different colour schemes to show a clear contrast between
the real & surreal, a real life example of this concept in practice is seen in Maroon 5's 'Move
Like Jagger' music video. The performance based scenes were edited in black & white in
order to create a sense of calmness and prestige. However, the narrative scenes where
generally widely colourful, as these uses of colours were largely prominent amongst the
1960's & 1970's, another example of this is The Beatles 'Hello Goodbye' music video, where
there is a clear use of bright colour through costumes and props. The use of exaggerated
colours throughout the narrative also amplifies the hallucination effects.
In addition, along with other media theories, we were able to effectively apply certain
elements of Andrew Goodwins music video theory to our own music video. Our music video
is constructed ob both narrative and performance, this has become an increasing trend in
the genre of Pop Indie/Rock as the genre has both expanded and developed. An increasing
number of present artists are employing both narrative and performance aspects to their
videos; an example of this is the Arctic Monkeys One For The Road, where we see a large
proportion of narrative during the beginning & core of the music video until the ending is
dominated with performance footage remaining in context of the narrative. Another
element of Goodwins theory that we applied to our music video is to show a strong
relationship between the lyrics & visuals.
Finally, another media theory applied to our main product is The Female Gaze, which
shares identical aspects of The Male Gaze. This is apparent in our product as the female
only rarely appears during the duration of our music video. This consequently allows the
audience to glimpse at the idea the female is the cause of the protagonists trouble, and
hence the drug usage. Furthermore, another applicable trait of the female gaze is that when
the female is present, the protagonist overpowers her, this is present during the hologram
scene, whereby the protagonist is physically harming the defenceless female.
However, as much as our main product represents challenges and develops the conventions
of the genre, our ancillary products have been formed using a wide variety of both visual
and technical codes.





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The colour scheme on our Digipack corresponds with elements of media theory applied to
our main products, such as Levi Strauss binary oppositions. On our front cover we had our
band, Obsession, photographed in black & white. In contrast, our back cover consisted of
the band members, however in colour, this allowed us to represent both aspects of our
video. The layout of both the front & back cover re identical to one another; both covers
consist of a white coloured square, divided into 4 separate panels for each respective band
member. Through our extensive research of other published album covers from artist's in
our genre, the main framework of our digipack took inspiration from the Gorillaz' Demon
Days album, alongside Blurs Best of Blur compilation album. However, although both covers
share the same layout structure, different style shots have been for the each chosen pane.
on our front cover we have photographed the band members at a medium-close up, with
each member looking in a different direction to the other; the band member situated on the
top-left of the digipack is looking across to his left at the band member on the top-right
hand corner of the digipack, who is looking down towards the member on the bottom-right,
who is finally looking to his right to the member located on the bottom-left corner of our
digipack artwork. This theoretical clockwise motion in which the band members appear to
follow on the front cover suggests the band unity and togetherness. On the back cover we
replicate the structure seen on the front cover, however, rather than having each band
member looking at one another, we applied our knowledge of media theory to use direct
address. We did this by instructing all the band members to look directly into camera,
therefore allowing them to connect and relate to the audience. Another example of a
similar digipack within the genre where direct address is apparent is Queen's Hot Space
album.
Furthermore, the background of both our front & back cover is conventional of our genre
due to the use exotic & exuberant colours which has seemed to be an ever present feature
throughout the genres existence. The background was created by integrating a wide variety
of colours, in order to interlink with some of the post-drug themes that occur throughout
the narrative. A real life example which influenced the background of our front and back
cover was Creams' 'Disraeli Gears' album cover.
In addition, the interior panes of our digipack show little similarities between the both the
front and back cover, this connotes the contrast in our music video & a potential
disequilibrium. On the left inner pane of our album cover we have included a picture of the
band as we felt that this would show continuity between our digipack & the performance
aspect of our video. However, the contents of the right inner pane, behind where the CD
would be kept in place, we opted for a design concept that shared similarities with that used
for the background of our front and back cover. Our core insight into doing was the due to
the inspiration and fondness we gained from Maroon 5's Overexposed album, whereby a
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broad range of lavish colour were flirtatiously combined to create a deep & robust
hallucination experience for the viewer. This also allowed us to tie-in key concepts from the
narrative to our digipack, truly making our products, a brand.
Finally, for our magazine advert we followed a parallel concept to the one seen on our
Digipack. The similarities between the two is evident such as the black & white house style
and structured layout allow our magazine advert to work in tandem with the album cover,
giving our ancillary products as greater sense of continuity. The main focal point of our
magazine advert is the picture of the band members, following a familiar concept of each
member having their individual pane, a similar real-life example of this particular design
concept can be found on Mumford & Sons Sigh No More magazine advert. However, one
noticeable difference between the magazine & album cover is that we decided to alter our
main image on the magazine advert so that, the two members on the top row are looking
up towards their name Obsession, whereas the two members on the bottom row are
looking down towards the contents of the magazine advertisement. We as a group opted
for this alteration as we felt that it aid us in directing the readers attention to specific parts
of the text. Furthermore, we gained much impetuous for our own work from both the Kings
of Leon Only By The Night magazine advert, from which we obtained ideas of possible
house styles, as well as Maroon 5s Overexposed magazine advertisement, which like the
music video, offered us inspiration for our effects that we eventually used to portray a
period of hallucination. Another magazine advert that housed a similar concept to our own
was Razorlights Slipway Fire; from this we gained a greater understanding of how we
could possibly improve our own work as this marketing project lead to Slipway Fire
becoming one of Razorlights more successful ventures.











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How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
On evaluating all 3 three of our products, I believe we have combined both our main
product and ancillaries well as there is clearly continuity within our work in order to create a
brand, and hence construct a successful campaign.
One-way in which we were effectively able to create a house style between our main
products with ancillary texts, was by the use of a mutual colour scheme. We used black &
white as a base colour scheme throughout both our main product and ancillaries. The
colours of black & white were used during the performance-based scenes of our music
video, this was done in order to heavily contrast & counteract the vivid colours & Special FX
within the narrative based scenes, this keeps in line with the theory of binary opposition.
We continued the use of black & white onto our magazine advert & front cover of our
digipack, on both these sets of text the band members appear in the foreground while
shaded in black & white layered on to a colourful background. The use of bold, vivid colours
allows us to portray characteristic of the genre, this makes both the main product and
ancillaries an attractive products for fans of the genre. An example of a digipack were
colours are used to represent the genre & artist is the Psychedelic Furs Forever now album.
However, in contrast our back cover does contain colour in order to represent the themes of
drugs and hallucinations which are exhibited via the narrative of the music video.
The use of both a coloured and black & white colour scheme acts as another example of
binary opposition in and amongst our work.
Throughout our ancillaries we opted to use the same typography as we felt that this would
help the viewer relate each product with one another, therefore distinguishing both brand
image & awareness. The typography was used to address the band name, album name,
reviews etc. Other fonts were also used however; some examples of these fonts in use are
the social network links, iTunes & record label information. Typography was also needed
during the music video for both the opening & ending credits; we researched what
typography other artists in the genre used in and amongst their own work. One example we
modelled for our own ending credits was Dr. Dres I Need A Doctor, this gave us a rough
outline of what information should be placed in our own ending credits. However, we didnt
need much influence for the opening credits, which houses the band name & track name, as
this was almost rule of thumb. After all of the research and planning, we decided that a
standard font would be the most suitable for our opening and ending credits.



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During the production our main & ancillary products, we created our own record label logo,
with the intention to place this onto all of our completed products, this is conventional to
the genre as seen on Razorlights Slipway Fires magazine advert, the record label logo
generically tends to be situated on the base of the digipack & magazine. The importance of
us including our logo on our products is to assist the audience in creating a connection
between all of our products in order to create a successful campaign. However, we did not
implement our logo at the end of our music video as we felt that this action was
unconventional in regards to music videos as a whole. Therefore, we determined that
stating the record label, alongside the year of publication would be sufficient information
for our ending credits.
For our main product, we used both mid-shot & close-ups throughout as these are
conventional to music videos & ancillary products in the genre. Therefore, we decided that
it would be best to use a close-up shot of the band members for both the magazine advert
and front cover of our digipack as it allows the audience to gain a sense of the individuals
emotions. However, we felt that a mid-shot would be most suitable for the back cover in
order to fit in all required contents of the shot, such as the card which accompanies the
track listing. We gained inspiration from Bob Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues, where
Bob Dylan is photographed at a medium long shot, holding various pieces of card with text,
similarly to the band member on the back cover.
Finally, although there are similar characteristics between our products, there are also
subtle differences them. One major difference between the main and ancillary products is
that there are more characters in the music video, this allows us to connect the narrative of
our music video with our ancillary products, although there are no indications on the
ancillaries suggesting any further characters. Another difference between our products is
that the magazine advert contains 3 reviews, whereas the digipack only contains 1 review.
Another evident difference between our ancillary products is that there is no institutional on
the magazine advert, although it appears on digipack back cover.








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