Evaluation Question 4

Question 4: How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

During the construction of my DigiPak the crop tool was a vital piece of digital technology which influenced my personal development therefore helping me to develop my product in a successful manner. For example, I used the crop tool to resize my images to remove unwanted areas from the photograph which I couldn’t remove while taking the image due to limitations of the shooting area. 

http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/crop-image-cs6/

Therefore this tool caused my product to become more professional in the sense that it was constructed using conventions from my chosen genre. However the crop tool does have limitations; the crop tools only functions in a rectangular format, therefore I overcame this by using the polygonal Lasso Tool.

http://www.guidingtech.com/23122/whiten-teeth-photoshop-cs/

The Polygonal Lasso Tool allowed me to remove freely selected areas of my still images on my magazine front cover. I specifically used the tool to edit my DigiPak cover image and my mast head as I had to reconstruct part of my image by stitching parts of images together to gain the most effective still image to suit and appeal to my target audiences interests and expectations of a professional product. However this tool had various limitations such as once an area was selected and either copy/cut and then pasted it would remove an outline of single pixels leaving a space between the original image and the selected cut area. To overcome this limitation I developed my skills to use combinations of both the patch and cloning tools.

By using a combination of the cloning and patch tools I was able to finalise the editing of my Digipack imagery by cleaning up the previous modifications to the image. This ensured it had a professional finish which would be necessary with any EDM track in the industry. I used these tools to reconstruct the main image as in the original picture various parts didn't look how I had originally planned, therefore I had to recreate part of the image to give it clean finish. This would in effect increase my audience appeal by giving my Digipak an impactful finnish . However both of these tools have limitations and therefore a lot of time was taken up in ensuring the techniques used didn’t degrade my work in any way. I judged the success of my products by using first hand research which evidently proved the successful use of pieces of digital technology.

In A2 Sony Vegas-Pro 11 was a substantial technological component of my A2 portfolio, as I was required to film and edit all my own work without this software my product would have been noticeably lacking professional post production qualities. I was new to the programme and therefore had to develop my skills at a fast pace in order to complete the task set on time.

While using Sony Vegas I have transitioned from learning basic techniques such as “Split Tool” in which I used this tool to follow common conventions from within my genre to create pace and transition in the mood within my music video by splitting my clips up in to smaller sections to remove any unwanted sections. This therefore impacts my audience’s interest in the music video by keeping them hooked through the constant changes in scenes therefore successfully impacting upon the appeal to my target audience.  However this tool didn’t allow me to complete all the alterations I wanted to and I overcame these limitations using the “Brightness and contrast tool”

The “Brightness and Contrast Tool” allowed me to make alterations to individual scenes in order to ensure every clip flowed seamlessly together and that no harsh/unwanted changes in brightness or contrast were present, again linking back to ensuring my product appeals to my target audience. This tool enhanced my products success by giving it the professional edge it needs in such a competitive industry. However some scenes/clips needed more detailed and complicated editing which the “Brightness and Contrast Tool” couldn’t complete and therefore I needed to develop my skills with the software to understand the use of to “Glow Tool”.

The “Glow Tool” was necessary for the effect I wanted to create in my music video. It acts as a mask which overlays the scene. By using the modification setting of the tool it can be filtered in to fill the clip with a chosen colour which therefore people associate with certain moods. The moods created from this tool were necessary for my video in order to grasp the viewer. This technique along with the specific shot works well to give my product something more than the ordinary conventional tools and techniques used in videos in the industry. Therefore this would create interest for my audience by giving them something new in result impacting on the appeal my product has.

Evaluation Question 3

https://www.canva.com/design/DABxeUFo8L4/dlXqbsD0XmqUi76FKkRUFQ/view?utm_content=DABxeUFo8L4&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=sharebutton

Evaluation Question 2

Question 2: How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary?

The importance of a brand identity is exstensive in media as recognisability is a key element with ensuring your customers know a product is one which they are familiar with. To create a brand identity for my products I have ensured a clear identifiable font (Dash Berlin's Distinguishing Font pictured below being used during his set at Ultra Music Festival in Miami) is used and a strong colour scheme consisting of warming colours such as yellows and browns are present through each piece of my project and is shown below. 

http://dashberlinworld.com/photo/dash-berlin-miami-ultra-music-festival-mainstage-umf-2016-1?xg_source=activity

My Digipak is featured below showing how I have integrated the stated aspects into my products:

Additionally by using DASH BERLIN'S conventional font I have leached off his brand following and have ensured my product has an instant audience to receive the product. Further more the artwork I used in my final digipak due to no protagonists being used creates various questions for the viewer intriguing them to listen to the track, emphasising the success of the product. Additionally my advert will further secure the previously stated points by acting as a guide to the actual product by using QR codes directly sending the viewer to a preview of the music video and song. This will enhance the views of my digipak itself in result enhancing the general success of my media products.

The general style of digipak and advert interlink to create a frontal image representing the typical EDM style. It is evident below that my professional finish allows my product to look identical in terms of style.

Evaluation Question 1

Representations of conventions within my product

The ways in which my products follows conventions are....

Mise-en-Scene

My use of lighting corresponded with common mise-en-scene conventions of music videos currently in the industry. Frequently lighting is used to created a "desired vibe or feeling" therefore I selected predominantly natural light in order to represent the reality of my narrative. This concept was enhanced by my use of props to give the scenes a life like atmosphere while further clarifying both my narrative and conceptualising the lyrics of my chosen song to give the viewer a more in depth grasp of the meaning of the song.

My use of lighting goes against the typical stereo-types of British youth in the way that it suggests that these emotional situations aren't typical in the lives of the youth and therefore my use of mise-en-scene is trying to challenge this idea to stand up for the disjointed relationship between the youth and the rest of society.

The costume used for my actors goes against typical stereo types of the British youth being "Hoodies". I tried to drift away from the endless "Chav" name tag which is associated with the British youth and tried to suggest that the youth is an upcoming group of society.As mentioned in my Mise-en-scene post on the blog I used brands which blended originality with fresh new brands of this generation to flow with the message intended of how the youth is developing and separating more widely in the way there are to extreme ends of the spectrum currently present. 

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/life/article3121057.ece

The extent of the problematic stereotype is shown through the way media perceives certain pieces of clothing as an indicator of gang warfare. An example of this is the article above, titled "HOW GANGS USE THE POWER OF THE HOODY" containing words such as "menacing hooded top". Even though this is an article from 2011 this stereotype has been present over time as proven below in a statement about mods and rockers, two gangs of society from the 1960's. These two gangs consisted of young teenagers having many conflicts about various different topics. These conflicted only empowered the older generations argument that the youth are a danger to society.

I believe these references provide the evidence to suggest the youth have been labelled with a negative stereotype both in the past, present and it seems as if it will continue in the future. Therefore I went against the negative stereotypes to present the other side of the young that is ignored by all of society who want to continue fueling the fear of the British youth.

Camera 

Camera angles and shots are a vital component of how a certain character is depicted by the audience my video uses a varied range of shots and angles such as low angles, close ups, tracking and free hand running shots. Each shot has its own influence on the mood of my product, for example.. 

My tracking and close up shots suggest the male protagonist is chasing the viewer just like he is chasing his lover. 

However my free hand running shots suggest a fast pace explosion of emotions which mirrors the intensity of my selected song. 

Sound

My lack of diegetic sound suggests my protagonist has an empty mind to go along with his empty emotions. I feel like the lack of sound gives the viewer and insight of how the protagonist now feels cut off from the world just as he is with his lover. By doing this it gains my protagonist the sympathetic outlook from the viewer that I desired. 

Editing

Editing was a fundamental part of my music video due to the fact I wanted to create a gradual uplifting vibe throughout my video. I used saturation and the weather to flow in sync with each other to lift the colour and vibrance to replicate his growing happiness through his journey to rekindle his relationship.

DigiPack

Front Cover

 Binder Cover

Back Cover

Right Inside Cover (Behind CD)

Left Inside Cover

Display Without CD

Display With Cd

DigiPack Advert