What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

1. What do you like on the whole about the music video?

2. What genre would you link with this music video?

3. What do you think about the actors? Do they fit the roles? Can you relate to them?

4. What part of the video grabbed your attention the most?

5. What did you dislike about the music video?

6. What other music have you heard which links to this music video?

My target audience is young females, and possible males who are of folk-pop genre, who listen to music such as Ellie Goulding and Laura Marling, while shopping at Topshop and vintage boutiques. My target audience are quite quirky and different, and enjoy listening to new music to add to their favourites which is why I think they will respond to Shannon Hurley, and have asked these questions to make sure I have achieved everything they have wanted from a music video.

I gave my questionnaire out to people aged 16-24, mainly females because of the feminine qualities surrounding the music video, but also a few males to get their opinion and hear their thoughts on the male actor in the music video and how they respond to him. I used facebook (a social networking website) to hand out questions to people who I believe fit my target audience, and I also handed out questionnaires at sixth form to hear their response about the music video.

The answers I received were very useful. For the first question a lot of people replied with, 'the relationship of the two actors is very effective', 'the relationship and how you have captured all the relationship qualities really helps me respond to the actors', 'I really enjoy the aesthetics of the music video'. The last quote about the aesthetics of the music video really helped me realize that the music video had captured that folk-pop feel of the music video, which is really important because the music video is targeting the right audience through the feeling of the music video.

For the second question the responses were quite varied, 'The song links to the acoustic genre.. the split screen is so creative that makes me think folk', which is what I was aiming at because the song is acoustic, but it has the elements of the folk genre. I want my audiences to think about all these qualities when they are watching the video.

For the third question my most helpful answer, and the one which made me feel confident and helped me realize that I had achieved something which worried me was, 'The actors are really realistic which makes me relate to them'. I was worried in the beginning about the cast of the music video because they were quite unconventional and not like actors in other music videos. I wanted the female character to have that beauty aspect around her, but I also wanted audiences to recognize something in her which they see in their friends which makes the music video something audiences can relate too.

The fourth question was about which part of the music video grabbed your attention and the answers varied from, 'the train station shots' too 'the shots of the live performance and the use of one space.', which shows how the location reaches out to different audience members of the folk genre. I am glad that the audience likes the one location because that shows that the folk aspect of privacy, cosiness and friendliness have come through in the video and have helped the audience relate to the surroundings of the artist.

The fifth question asked the audience what part of the music video they disliked and the helpful answer which really made me think was, 'At the start instead of going straight into the artist playing, introduce your characters to the audience further.'. This answer is really helpful, and had made me think that if I could re-do the music video I would carry on with the characters much further to introduce them and introduce the atmosphere of the video in more depth.

In the sixth question a lot of people answered with Laura Marling and Ellie Goudling which is really good because then the genre of folk-pop has really shown through the video. We wanted the creative flair of Laura Marling's videos but the music is similar to Ellie Goulding and Kate Voegele we wanted aspects of them in the music video also.

Hearing audience feedback has made me feel more confident about the music video, and has helped me understand further how I have achieved to target my audience.

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

By researching other music videos and media theorists such as Goodwin I was able develop conventions of real media products, and use them to my advantage.

Goodwin's theory consists of eight aspects; how the music video has links between the lyrics and the visuals, intertexual references, music videos demonstrate genre characteristics, representation of the artist in the music video and a performance based/narrative based music videos. My music video ties in with a lot of Goodwin's theories and by researching him I was able to use real media conventions in my music video.

The links in the music video to the lyrics is why we chose a relationship breaking down, 'I want to touch you', 'I want to see you', and 'I want to make you see That yesterday was long ago', are all the lyrics which are constantly being repeated through the whole song so that's why we decided on a relationship falling apart. The lyrics 'I want to see you', also links in with the music video because the couple are on the train getting ready to meet each other again which shows that the couple want to see each other again. Music videos constantly reference the lyrics in their visuals like Daniel Powter - Bad Day music video where the lyrics 'Cos you had a bad day' is constantly referenced in the actors facial expressions and how the actors continue out their days in a bad rut. Goodwin's theory of the lyrics linking to the music video has helped me develop real media conventions.

Another theory of Goodwin's is intertexual references which is why I began researching music videos. I initially researched videos before I had any ideas and before I had a song to get inspired, and realize what music I wanted. From this research, I found my song and then began to research videos which inspired me for the concepts for the music video. Daniel Powter - Bad Day is a heavy influence on the whole music video because of the combination of live performance and a narrative story told through split screens. The initial idea of split screens came from the movie 500 Days of Summer and how they tell a relationship through these split screens, but after I had further researched split screen music videos I liked Daniel Powter's video the most. From Daniel Powter's video led me onto research Plain White T's - Hey There Delilah and then get the idea of featuring small aspects of the location around the music video. My music video is heavily influenced by other media products therefore following the conventions of real media products, and my music video has loads of intertexual links to other music videos.

Goodwin's theory also suggests that the music video should have the genre's characteristics through the music video. The folk-pop genre of my target audience is shown through the idea of a broken up relationship because this targets the audience of females at the age of 16-24. The idea of split screens links to the creativity of the genre which is folk, so the music video has to have a 'quirky' and strange quality to it to recognize the genre of artsy folk.

As a production group we wanted to add a live performance because of the research into Daniel Powter - Bad Day music video. I thought the live performance was a good way of portraying the artist to the audience and also portraying the audience through the artist. Several music videos portray their audience through their live performances like rock music videos will use live performances their 'punk' audience will be shown in the video. I researched other live performances which link to my target audience such as Laura Marling - Damage Done, who links to the folk audience, and Marina and the Diamonds - Hollywood acoustic, which also links to the pop audience. From these videos I wanted to incorporate live performance with the narrative so I could portray my audience. I have done this by using a singular room which makes the performance more intimate, private and relaxed which links to the folk target audience. Adding a live performance uses the theory of Goodwin but I didn't have Goodwin in mind when I researched live performances. Live performances use media conventions to portray the audience, and to portray the artist to potential audiences.

The idea of using a narrative for the music video links to other music videos therefore the use of media conventions. The narrative also doesn't follow a linear structure therefore also following media conventions of a music video because music videos don't have to have a beginning, middle or end, so I have featured in the music video a flashback to show audiences that the couple featured in the music video used to be in love.

The mise-en-scene throughout the music video are developments of conventions I have gained by researching other media products. For example, the split screens have been taken from 500 Days of Summer and Daniel Powter - Bad Day music video showing that split screens are a real media convention used to tell the narrative in different ways. I have used the split screens to show the divide between the two character's and how separate they are, similar to how the character's in Daniel Powter - Bad Day are presented. The use of a beach location links to media conventions because music videos such as Damien Rice - The Blower's Daughter uses a beach as a place of sadness and reflection over a relationship which I have taken into my own music video to reflect the melancholy of my music video.

I have been able to develop and use media conventions with the help of the theorist Goodwin, who's theories have taught me how to create a conventional music video. My music video doesn't challenge media conventions really, because all the qualities in my music video have featured conventional media conventions.

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

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

At the start of the whole production me and my production group began to research initial ideas from all medias. For example we used the internet to look at pictures and print them to contribute to a visual concept mood board so we could gain ideas and a sense of what visual style we were trying to achieve. From the song which we found on the internet we got a sense of our audience. We researched several tribes using FindYourTribe.com and understanding different tribes, and from this we got a sense of our own audience. The song is folk-pop similar to Ellie Goulding or Kate Voegele so our audience has elements of folk, and pop. Our concept board had images of the beach because we originally decided on a beach location, and our concept board featured a couple which aimed to a female audience of 16-24 in age. From this we began to brainstorm together by watching movies such as 500 Days of Summer and without the use of new media technologies we wouldn't have got the basis of our idea which was split screens and the sense of a relationship breaking up and the emotional difficulties tied to this experience. From this we used the internet and websites such as youtube and vimeo to study videos like Daniel Powter - Bad Day and Jean-Sebastien Monzani - Your Secret to get the ideas about using notes to explain the narrative and further research into split screens. From using the internet to study Monzani's video we were able to link his video to Death Cab For Cutie - Grapevine Fires therefore using the internet to explore this video further and taking ideas from this video also. One of my initial ideas was to use a scrapbook to tell the narrative which came from the Grapevine Fires video so without the help of youtube this idea wouldn't have let me developed into another idea. Going back to 500 Days of Summer as a production team we watched the movie on television and the idea of setting the music video on a train came from this movie so new technologies have helped a lot in developing ideas and coming up with the initial ideas. 500 Days of Summer use the train for the couple in the movie to meet again, so I took this idea and used the train as a somewhat metaphor the couple moving through their relationship hence the flashback to their past. The flashback also links to the 500 Days of Summer movie because of the way the narrative jumps through the relationship so I took this idea as well. Using the internet we explored other music videos such as Plain White T's - Hey There Delilah where we decided that we liked the use of the split screens being a variety of different shaped boxes instead of just a split so we could then show audiences different aspects of the location (the beach, the waves, other people surrounding the area, etc...). Another music video which I really liked and would loved to have responded to further was Cheryl Cole - 3 Words because her music video has split screens but they come together so I used this idea for the end of the music video where the couple meet and the split screen comes together to show the couple have joined together once again. We took a lot of elements from music videos and movies that we had watched either on the internet or using some other technology so our ideas wouldn't have really developed if we hadn't have used these new technologies to help us.

To plan our music video we used the internet to search for props and costumes to get a slight idea of how we wanted our cast to visually look to the audience. We searched costumes through google and then posted them on our blogs to create a slight visual mood board of our character's costumes. We also used the internet to plan our props: a mobile, a watch, cereal etc to visually explain our ideas and show what we were thinking and make sense of our ideas. While planning I sketched a mood board to show our step by step shots visually, and trying to gain a sense of what our music video would look like essentially. After sketching the mood board I had to scan the mood board onto my blog, which meant that without technology we wouldn't be able to experience what the music video would essentially look like. During planning I also took location shots of Sheringham with my Nikon D60 and used my laptop to upload the photo's onto blogger. Photographs of our location really helped to visualize where the narrative would take place, and help people viewing my blog what my visual processes were which the photographs contributed too. My blogger has also helped me to plan the music video because it has brought all of my ideas into one place so I can keep referring back to it to help develop ideas, and see how my ideas go together and if my visual ideas go together or if they clash. My blog has helped me to keep my ideas in one place, and help me remember what ideas I have had while new ideas are being developed.

When it came to the editing process of the music video we used Adobe Premiere Elements to edit all of our music video together. It took us a long time because we wanted to use split screens so we had to take each shot and place them on new tracks on Adobe to edit them together. We changed the sizes of the video clips using Advanced Editing by either cropping, or just adjusting the sizes of the clips. When we added our live performance we laid down the music track on the audio, and the whole shooting of the live performance and made sure they matched up, then we hid certain parts of the video by using the razor tool too cut the video up and dragging the visible line down so it was no longer there. We used transitions on Adobe to move smoother from some of the shots so the audiences eyes can adjust to the new shot appearing on the music video. Adobe Premiere helped pull the music video together and bring out the themes of a relationship being broken up.

For the evaluation I have used a social networking site (facebook) to ask my target audience (friends of mine who are apart of my target audience) what they think of the music video and what is visually interesting, if it appeals to them, and what they enjoy most about the music video along with other questions. Facebook has helped me find out what my target audience really thinks of a music video we have created with them in mind all the time.

How effective is the combination of your main product with ancillary texts?

The music video (main production) and the print productions (ancillary texts) create a good combination because they both target the same audience through having links to the music video. The target audience is of folk/pop genre and there are several links to them in the music video so I wanted the same effect on the print productions. The ancillary texts sells the main product to the target audience and my ancillary texts give the audience a hint at what is in the music video by repeating similar themes which are repeated in the music video. While creating my advert and album cover I made a few direct links to the music videos so the target audience would feel more inclined to watch the video. By having these links the target audience will be drawn in by the ancillary texts and when they watch the music video they will see these links being repeated there as well.

From the album cover the audience is able to gain a sense of the artist’s style and a hint at what the music video is going to be like. From the advert target audiences can get a sense of the type of music Shannon Hurley will play because the target audience will link the advert and album to other artists with similar styles; Laura Marling, Kate Voegele, Ellie Goulding ecterera.

When it came to editing the album cover I wanted to have similar links to other artists to promote Shannon Hurley to the target audience because the audience will recognize these links and be more inclined to listen to her music. With the album cover I used a paintbrush to create the sense of water to link to the waves that are included in the music video, and the golden background which I have added a photoshop technique too called noise is linking to the sand of the beach. I want the album cover to represent the music video so the techniques I have used on photoshop for the album cover are reflecting the melancholy and romance of the beach. The noise I have used on the background also targets the folk audience because it’s different, creative and has a vintage quality which links to the audience’s interest vintage aspects. The vintage quality was how I linked the album cover to Arctic Monkeys - Humbug because I want that same quality they have with their album. The photo featured on the album cover is showing audiences and these potential buyers of the album who the artist is and gives the album a friendly quality because the artist is portraying themselves to an audience and not remaining private. The photo I took links to the artists who I studied like Kate Voegele and Ellie Goulding who portray themselves on their albums so I wanted this quality so then my album cover was a mix of qualities I have learnt from different albums and targeting my audience. The photo I have chosen for the album cover is linking in with the music video, which I took at the beach, because of the way the wind is blowing the artist’s hair and the natural background all links with the romantic and melancholy themes of the music video. The album cover is giving the audience an idea of what the music video will be like and an insight into the artist’s style of music. The album cover ties in with other albums with the same target audience that I have so this audience will see that Shannon Hurley's music is their kind of music and will be more interested in listening. The album cover shows what age group and gender (females, 16-24), the whole production is aiming at because the female artist is looking natural and feminine, the light colours, the womanly font and the same themes I have already mentioned which the album connotes. The artist on the cover of the album is of the same age as the target audience which helps the audience relate to the artist and makes them feel more connected with her. With the album cover I did want to include aspects of Laura Marling’s album cover because the target audience for Laura Marling is the target audience for my music video so by including these aspects (such as the creative elements) this is showing the target audience that they should buy the album. The creative aspects which Laura Marling's album has inspired me to include is the paintbrush around the photo of the artist because it creates a 'wave/sea' quality without using a photo of the sea.

(Final Product)

The advert has all the same themes that the album cover has. The advert has carried on with the same golden background with the sand texture, and the use of the feminine font and the background of the advert is a photo of the artist. The photo of the artist I have decided to feature is similar to the album cover’s because you can see that the wind is blowing the artists hair which links to the melancholic feeling of the music video, but I like how the artist is looking away which gives the target audience the sense of a break-up in a relationship because the artist is looking thoughtful like she is reminiscing. The other reason I have included a photo of the artist looking away is so the target audience feel interested in who she is and wanting to know more about her so they feel more inclined to research her. The advert and the CD cover work together to sell the artist to the target audience therefore the target audience will watch the music video and listen to the music of the artist. I have used the same font because I want the advert to be an extension of the album cover by carrying on the same decorative themes to target the target audience. I want the target audience to see these recurring themes and then recognize the album in the shops and the ancillary texts will become fixed in the target audiences mind. With the same recurring themes the audience will constantly get these visual repetitions everywhere they go and know they are linked so they will remember to research the artist. I have spread the font across the photo of the artist and the advert because I wanted it to be eye-catching, bold and the information on the advert is more important than the artist’s image. I wanted the font to be eye-catching so that the target audience would remember her name and then see the artist’s album so they would be more interested in purchasing the album. From purchasing the album the target audience will see who the artist is because the album features the artists full face, so the advert is luring the target audience into viewing the album therefore going on to see the music video.

(Final Product of Advert)

In conclusion the album cover and CD cover work together to target the folk audience’s to watch the music video. The ancillary texts all foreshadow what is to come in the music video, and because of the this audiences are more interested in watching the music video. The ancillary texts also make audiences want to watch the music video before purchasing the album, so if the ancillary texts sell the artist the audience will research them further. The advert also makes the artist seem like a mystery so the audience will want to know more about the artist therefore watch the music video then lead them to buying the album.

ciaooo!