3. What have you learned from your audience feedback?

Our questionaire with some example quotes from a range of audience members:

Audience feedback questionnaire.

1) Were there any aspects of the video you particularly enjoyed, if so what and why?
"I enjoyed the performance sections because they were really entertaining and realistic".

2)Do you think the use of camerawork was effective or not and why?
"Yes, there were a wide range of interesting shots, especialy those using the barbed wire".

3)What did you think of the editing and effects in the video and why?
"I did not like the earthquake effects in the video as they seemed unconsistant."
"I thought the black and white efects made it look really professional"

4) Do you think the production replicated a real music video and why?
"Yes because the performance has all the instruments like a real band would and it mixes in some story aswell"

5) What did you think of the imagery used in the video?
"I especially liked the shots taken in the mill area because they looked dark and edgy, i also thought the ending was really good.

6) Were there any aspects of the video you think could use improvement, if so what and why?
"The editing in some sections of the performance could have been made tighter to make it more effective."

7) Any other comments?
"Really enjoyed the video, there is a nice mix between performance and narrative that helps keep things interesting and professional at all times."


This screen shot shows our video on the social networking site facebook, with some audience feedback displayed below.

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

Our media product follows the conventions of ‘rock and roll’ video’s by combining a performance piece with a narrative filled with self destruction and negative images of society.
The performance section of the video features the band playing the song in a minimalistic studio setting, with the idea behind this location being to the let the music speak for its self, an idea common in rock videos. The narrative section involves the vocalist’s journey through areas such as back alleys and an abandoned logging mill, with these locations connoting the dangers and waste in society through the recurring imagery of barbed wire and litter. Our video is edited in time with the beat of the song and constantly cross cuts between the two sections in order to keep the audience interested and again following the conventions of a real music video.

For the performance section of the video our group learnt how to play the song, this adds credibility to the performance as our mimes are more convincing and follows conventions, as real music video’s performance sections are as accurate as possible. We also positioned the band in a conventional way with the vocalist in the front centre and the band around him. This allowed for more interesting camera angles on the vocalist, who is the ‘meat’ of the performance.


In this shot the vocalist is positioned with the 'rule of thirds' in mind, making him the focal point of the image.

We also considered our chosen genre with the mise-en-scene of the performance, with the costumes for the band being stylish t-shirts typical of bands at the time. The vocalist’s costume however challenges of classic rock, whilst he has a star image with messy hair and dominating presence, his plain black t-shirt and simple clothes juxtapose with the rest of the band, this allows him to be the focal point for the video as the juxtaposition makes him stand out. Whereas in most classic rock videos the vocalist is the focal point through extravagant clothing, the vocalist in our piece becomes the focal point through simple attire.
The studio location its self is minimalistic. With no props or crowd shots it makes our video have the typical attitude of let the music speak for its self, however in order to prevent this from being completely uninteresting to some people, we made the performance itself as energetic as possible and emphasised it with faced paced editing that rotates through all the band members from different angles. Whilst filming the narrative we also used the handheld camera to create lots of whip pan shots and camera movement, which adds to the energy and sense of momentum in the performance.


This shot is an example of the whip pan technique we used, as the camera spins around the guitarist as he performs.

This use of camerawork is typical in rock videos, which normally focus on the vocalist, but also dedicate screen time to the other band members, especially during solo sections. We stylized our performance piece by adding monochrome effects that give our video an edgy feel and to emphasize the studio lighting we used especially on medium shots of the vocalist and in the shadow section of the song, which we included to proive something differant visualy for the slower part of the song.


These shots are examples of how we used the monochrome effect to stylize our video.

The other half of our video consists of a narrative piece, which was added in order to add something extra to the video instead of relying on 100% performance. The narrative we decided to use featured the vocalist, because using him as the ‘meat’ of the video and narrative is conventional for rock music videos. The vocalists journey takes him from a busy suburban area through back alleyways, a logging mill and a through a tunnel. The locations we used represent the lower ends of society with barbed wire framing shots and graffiti/waste present in the background, which adds emphasis to the lyrics of the song with these lower ends of the city representing the steel jungle (‘welcome to the jungle it gets worse here every day’).


The Barbed wire in this shot portrays negative images of society, a typical theme in rock videos. The low angle here shows the vocalists dominance of the scene.


Whilst danger is present in the narrative through this imagery, the camera stays at a medium level with the vocalist through most of the narrative, this adds to the typical macho image of rock vocalists as he seems comfortable in his surroundings through the most of it. However negative aspects such as depression and paranoia as shown in some sequences, which present’s the ideas that although the ‘rock n roll’ life style is self destructive in many ways, the people involved are comfortable living this way as inspired by the portrayal of the vocalist in the ‘slither’ video.


This shot is juxtaposed with the images of the vocalist being dominante of the surroundings in earlier shots, connoting the uncertain nature of the rock and roll lifestyle.

This self destruction is also shown in our recurring image of the cigarette that says ‘I wanna die’ on. This image not only emphasises the song lyrics but also to the themes of self destruction as it is constantly smoked throughout the video. The videos ending leaves the audience unsure its conclusion as the vocalist throws the cigarette down and walks away into the light, these shots light nature and hinted conclusion of redemption is unconventional of rock video’s that usually leave the rock and roll image unchallenged.


This reccuring shot shows the self destruction of the rock lifestyle, the way it is constantly edited into the video reinforces this point.


The conclusion of redemption in the final shot is unconventional for rock videos.

As with the performance we placed effects on our narrative in order to make it fit with the video; however we added some colour in the narrative instead of making it completely monochrome in order to prevent the video from becoming monotonous. The dreary colours used add to the mise en scene perfectly to create a bleak atmosphere


This shot is an example of how effects were used to make the mise en scene bleak and dreary.

The editing we used in the narrative is also faced paced, especially in early sections through the suburbia in order to create a sense of momentum. We also used camera movement to create seamless transitions between the narrative and performance sections creating a more enjoyable experience for the viewer. We also used effects at certain points in the narrative to emphasise the beat, or to add chaos and confusion during the build up towards the end of the song, with the lights becoming blinding at one point representing the overpowering nature of the rock lifestyle.


In this sequence we used colour filters and an 'earthquake' effect to create a sense of chaos and confusion during an intense part of the song.

Throughout the entire video we conformed to conventions by including a credible performance that focuses on the vocalist, whilst editing it together with a narrative that shows the rock and roll lifestyle, however we also challenged conventions through the subtle hint of redemption at the end of the video.

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

During the planning stages of our video we used many different media sites such as 'youtube' and 'muzu' to consume videos of our chosen genre, allowing us to embed them into our blogs and analyse them for content and ideas that were later transferred into our main products. We also used 'windows movie maker' a simpler editing program alongside to animate a storyboard which was hand drawn as part of our planning.

For our music video, we used a range of different equipment to create and complete it.
For shooting the video we used two different cameras. For shooting our performance footage (the band playing) we used professional recording cameras that are used on television, we did this in the college's media recording suite, the reason we did this was because this environment not only contained all the equipment we needed, but it also looked professional and had the look of a practise studio, so this gave us many advantages.
In this room while we recorded ourselves performing the song, the song itself would be played in the background while we recorded. We took multiple takes of the band performing the song in a variety of different ways, and used a wide variety of camera shots. At some points during the recording of the performance, we used a handheld camera to get close-ups of the band and their instruments, especially for the guitar solo to make it seem more exciting and appealing, and we also used tracking shots to move around the whole of the band while we all performed, this also had another pro: The handheld camera had a lower resolution and gritty look. This gave the video more of a dirty look and feel which worked extremely well with the genre of music that we have chose (Rock N’ Roll), which conventionally has a dirty, gritty and urban look to the videos.


This is an example of the gritty low-res close ups we were able to capture using the hand held camera during our filming.

For our narration we used a simple handheld camera, the reason we used this was because it was much easier to record with. Our narration is set in a very dark, desolate urban environment, so having a handheld camera was easier to record with due to our various camera shots. For example we would not have been able to do a tracking shot of our character as he walks through the streets with a large camera, this would of been extremely difficult and complicated, whereas with the handheld camera we were able to move with an incredible amount of ease. And if we also used a professional camera, we would not of been able to get many of our shots, including the shot where the camera is placed within a coil of barbed wire which shows the character and the grotesque environment which he is walking through.


This shot would not have been possible with a larger camera as the extremly low angle required would have been too difficult to possition.

Also because the handheld has the natural low resolution/gritty urban look which comes with it, this also suited the narration extremely well as the environments are the streets near a main road, then the abandoned houses which were in a very poor condition, and then the graffiti ridden tunnel in which the narration ends as our character walks off into the light of nature.

When editing on final cut pro, we decided to edit the performance and narrative together as two complete pieces and then edit between them, this allowed for maximum flexibility when editing the narrative as it was already pieced together as a sequence. We used a wide range of the final cut pro tools whilst editing, from basic cut functions to visual effects and text boxes. When editing the performance we watched the performance from every possible angle and decided on key moments we wanted to include in the performance sections (e.g. guitarists solo). We would also included a rapid cut-rate at the start of the video to amplify the music during this sequence.


The timeline we used had many differant layers on for each camera at each time, we would watch playback from each angle and decide which would be the most effective.

We also used final cut pro to add effects to our video to make it more effective, for example effects such as 'earthquake' add distortion to the image during key sequences, connoting chaos and confusion. We also placed colour filters such as monochrome and contrast on our video which contributed to the bleak mise-en-scene.


This is an example of what our performance section looked like before we added visual effects.


This screenshot shows how we added the visual filters to our video that drained the more vibrant colours from the mise en scene.


This shot shows how we used the 'earthquake' effect to amplify parts of the song.

During our evaluation we have used multiple technologies such as the social networking site 'facebook' to gain feedback on our video from the target audience by uploading it to the site and placing it within a group for fans of the genre.
We also used webcams to create video for the blog such as the directors commentary and the audience feedback podcast.

2: How effective is the combination of your main product and anacilly texts?

The techniques in the various media used in both the music video and digi-pack are consistent

in the use of the torn and crushed newspaper effect giving a rich and layered texture to the backgrounds, denoted particularly by the magazine advertisement. The advert emphasizes the subject in clear block capitals, however with a subtle grain effect added throughout the text. The almost transparent red layer highlights the Guns 'n' Roses headline and stresses the importance and subject of the poster. The variety of font size is important as it accentuates the 'DELUX DEBUT BONUS CD PACKAGE', which entices the consumer with persuasive language, a key sales tactic, leading to the smaller yet noticeable white text below that provides contrast with the dim background displaying the bonus features of the CD. A bonus track and booklet providing information on the band and other aspects to find out upon purchase, leaving room for the consumer to interpret what 'MUCH MORE' could be in the booklet. The release date is dominant and in a large font, the same size as the 'DELUX DEBUT' text to ensure the consumer will recognize, giving connotations of anticipation. The quote 'IT WILL BRING YOU TO YOUR SHA NA NA NA KNEES' is a clever play on words in which is easily recognisable by any Guns 'n' Roses fan, specifically appealing to the current fan base and magazine editors (in this example, ; 'KERRANG' magazine; a popular rock and metal magazine in which promotes new and upcoming bands as well as current popular bands). Enforcing the buyers decision to buy as it has 5 K's (the equivalent of 5*) from professional music analyzers.

The torn newspaper effect is slightly different from the Magazine advertisement, however is consistent in the cd cover and booklet. I have chose to do this to create a divide between the limited bonus CD package and the advertisements, however give some similarities to colour pallet and the use of the striking red roses to create instinctive connotations.

The front cover consists of a still image taken from the end of our music performance, it creates a sense of realism, the fact that we aren't paying attention to the camera, creating a natural image. The sepia effect was added in relation to the video, after it being majority monochrome, with the narrative with a subtle tinge of colour. The idea of the sepia effect was to reflect this, without a mundane monochrome Cd cover, not having the ability to manipulate the colours to change without the product going into production and having access to holographic materials or two tone plastics.

The vines were added to create a border, however a solid vine border proved to be unsuccessful as it became too square, the idea of rogue and free vines bordering the band members became more metaphoric and relevant, it also lead around to the roses to the spine of the CD where the title and band name are in standard block font to be easily read and recognised in a store if they were stacked, along with the essential barcode identical to the back cover, with the record label and track names, applying the typical conventions of a CD.

The back cover is essentially an enlarged version of the text on the front cover, however applying the lyrics to the debut song 'Welcome to the jungle' with a hole burnt through the middle giving connotations of rebellion and the rogue nature of the bands rock genre, applying continuity to the theme of the fonts, symbols and conventions of a digi-pack overall.

Welcome to the Jungle, Finished Video.

Finished Front and Back Print Image

Album Evaluations (Click individual picture to enlarge)

Internal Booklet cover

Poster / Magazine design

Using a veriety of mixed media and the theme of torn newspaper, i began to manipulate the backgrounds to creased paper, and adding 'grungey' texts. Varying to font sizes to emphasise the importance of cirtain words and phrases. The Text concists of literary devices such as alliteration, which engages the reader in the 'DELUX DEBUT' cd promotion poster. The image contains all the necessary legal symbols of the record label, also with release dates and information on the bonus features of the cd package such as the internal booklet.

Internal cover (behind cd)

The torn newspaper keeps continuity at a constant and creates a theme and image to the CD itself. This makes the CD striking to the consumer. Here are two examples of clean and burn effects added. Creating a variety of possibilities for the overall CD.

Back Cover

The initial idea of creating a torn newspaper effect digitally worked well and is therefore the reason we continued to use the effect, however manipulating the text in various patterns, lyrics and effects added to the top layers. by burning a piece of paper and scanning it in i was able to create a hole in the text to give the connotations of anarchy, initially aiming to insert the lead vocalists heed ( or mid shot ) to emphasis his image influencing the band, as in most bands.

The bar codes and company label are to scale and thus making the cover as realistic as possible.

We added a bonus track which is known as a popular classic rock number from Guns 'n' Roses first movement.

Animatic Storyboard

This is the animatic for our performance peice, we plan to use a wide range of shots, from differant angles and possitions to cover each individual band member and thier instruments closely to follow the conventions of a rock video. Our animatic does not contain any narrative shots, as we had not decided on our narrative structure until late into the project.

Welcome To The Jungle - Guns 'N' Roses

Final Cd Cover Idea

Development and Construction of CD cover (Front)

Beginning with screenshots from our performance video and narrative i began manipulating the images on photoshop, i thought the idea of the band members being caught off guard worked well creating a more naturalistic atmosphere. Therefore i captured this image:


I began to add simple effects, beginning with mono chroming the whole image and adding hand made textures i created with acrylic paints, scrunched up paper and rolling on acrylic paints. and varying the position of the overlaying layer.
Then, manipulating brightness and contrast to create a dim and dark mise en scene to reflect the rock setting, aswell as taking advantage of other tools such to the burn tool, im which i felt worked well to be a background for the song title.



I then began experimenting with the roses logo in various positions, between the Guns roses text and in the corners, continuing with the mono chrome style , however adding a subtle sepia tinge.



Then adding an almost transparent red filter to merge the performance image with the roses and make the white text bolder, i then settled with the idea of vines, to create a border linking around to the roses and linking with the themes of entrapment the song connotes.
The original idea for the song title as seen below was to have the band and album name in a basic font with different levels of boldness to make one stand out from the other, however we wanted to find a way to make the title more significant in the image.
This lead me to my final idea of a newspaper strip, using the repetition of 'Guns n Roseses Welcome to the jungle...' to create a striking title that adds emphasis.

Location Shots

We decided to film the end part of Guy's journey inside a tunnel, the entrance into this area is symbolic of a modern gates of hell, with graffiti suggesting the chaos and disruption of social norms that are associated with the rebel sterotype of the rock and roll frontman. Lighting in the tunnel was also naturalisticly darker than the outside areas, providing a sinister edge to the scene.




The log filled wasteland represents the wastefullness in society, that allows areas like this to exist, the nature shown through the barbed wire is a juxtapossed image of nature being constricted and destroyed by the modern industrialized world. The Razor wire also connotes danger, as Guy has to avoid it on his journey through these areas adding to his vunerable state in the narrative.


The studio setting was used to allow us to stylize the footage we capture e.g with minimal interfearnce from backgrounds, and use of the studio lighting to create a dark atmoshpere.