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.