Music in the Online Age

Music in the Online AgeHere is a short presentation stating how the music industry has changed over the years and how it is predicted to change in the future. 

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A Sum Up

Before we could even begin to think about how to construct our coursework, we had to do lots of research into different media industries such as how different genres of music videos are constructed and also analyzing videos of our genre, to make sure we knew exactly what type of video we was going to create.We made sure that we focused very carefully on the mise-en-scene and also the types of camera angles and scenes which were used. 
Here is a link to the powerpoint i made which analyzes music videos of our genre 'pop music' :
http://www.slideshare.net/fullscreen/mediamister/analyzing-music-video-11671221/1


We also had to make sure that we had a well detailed and set out storyboard, shot by shot so that when it came to the filming stages, we wasn't stuck with what to film next. 

This is the ideas board that we came up with, before we started putting our storyboard together. It consisted everything that we wanted to add and also the ideas of every member from our group. We thought that a mind map was essential before starting so that we didn't miss out any ideas that anyone had. 






Before we started filming, we done a few different testing shots so that we knew how to use different camera angles and also so that we were sure how to use the Bloggie cameras. We filmed simple things such as someone walking across a room and two people talking. We also re created a one minute clip of an existing music video as a way to get us started. We made sure that the video was of our genre. We created a song by Jessie J: 
http://charlottesblogformedia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/one-minute-clip.html


We also had a number of ancillary tasks to make, so once we had started the filming for our coursework, we started analyzing different existing pop digipaks and also pop websites, as these were the two tasks that we chose to create. We found that most of the pop digipaks were very simlar and had very similar features.
Here is the part of my blog that includes an analysis of Pixie Lott and Rhiannas digipaks: http://charlottesblogformedia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/digipak-analysis.html

As we were also creating a website, we needed to make sure that we had looked at a number of different websites of our genre and noted down the similarities that they all included. We also noted down the types of images used and if they had a colour scheme and how many different pages they included. 
Here is the website analysis of existing pop genre websites: 
http://charlottesblogformedia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/website-analysis.html

Once the analysis of existing media products was complete, we were then able to start constructing our own. We all took sections each and made sure we completed them as professional as possible. 
Overall, we thought that our digipak turned out very effective. We made sure that it was very eye catching and that it included all common features of a pop digipak. 
http://charlottesblogformedia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/digipak-front-cover.html
We then made sure that we analyzed the front and back cover of the digipak to show how we made it and the problems and issues that we overcome. We also stated how it appeals to our target audience and how it meets the forms and conventions of real media products.
Front Cover analysis:
http://charlottesblogformedia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/ancilliary-digipak-analysis-front-cover.html
Back Cover analysis:
http://charlottesblogformedia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/ancillary-digipak-analysis-back-cover.html
Our website was also very effective as it looked very professional and we made sure that it was laid out simply for the audience to use. We did however, have problems with viewing the website as for some reason, we could only view it on one particular computer. However, we managed to use some screen shots to be able to show the audience our website, and the pages it includes and also to be able to analyze it. 
http://charlottesblogformedia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/website-analysis_07.html
As you can see, we used the same colour scheme throughout, just like existing media products. 

The making of our music video overall took a very long time. We had to take a lot of our free time and put it into filming and editing our music video. We wanted it to look professional and as if it was a real media product. It took us a few attempts to make it perfect, but we was finally happy with it in the end. We made a YouTube channel for people to comment on our video and we also posted it to Facebook so that we could get feedback from our target audience. Overall, we got some very positive feedback and were very happy with the effort we put into our work. 
Here is the link to our music video on our YouTube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oj1Ov6flOYE&feature=g-hist

Here is a link to all my Research and Planning posts: 
http://charlottesblogformedia.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Research%20and%20Planning

Here is a link to all my Evaluation posts:
http://charlottesblogformedia.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Evaluation

A2 Media Evaluation

A2 Media Evaluation

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Inside of Digipak Analysis

This is the inserts which we have added to the inside of our digipak. The pictures will be folded inside the album so that the last two kissing pictures are next to each other and it opens up so the audience has a set of five different pictures. We included this as we thought it was interesting for the audience and also as a gift to thank them for buying her album.
We chose theses images of the artist as they are all very different and they include her in different settings and outfits. This shows to the audience that Jayme-Lee is just like any normal teenage girl and although she is famous, she isnt always done up perfectly. This attracts the target audience of the girls as it proves to them that they can be just like her. The boys would like these images if they fancy her as they have five large pull out images of the artist which they can keep. Its as if the men want her, and the women want to be her.

This is also included in the inside of the digipak. It is a form which can be filled in and sent off for a chance to win free tickets to see Jayme-Lee live. This form includes the same colour scheme that we have used throught the music video, digipak and website. This could be another thing, apart from the attraction of the front of the digipak that attracts the viewing audience to buy the album. If they originally like her and see that they can have a chance to win tickets, it may make them think that the price of the album is worth buying as it is mentioned on the front of the digipak.

Here is a free envelope which is also included so that the audience can send off their forms to MTV for free. We decided to include this as we didnt think that it was fair for the viewer to have to pay for an envelope and stamp when they already had bought the album. It is a free gesture from the artist and she wants to keep  her fans interested and happy.



Website Analysis

We made the website using Macromedia Dreamweaver where we were able to design the website and insert content. It also meant that we could edit the layout so that it looked professional and didn't look rushed. We used photoshop to edit the pictures and Macromedia Fireworks to make the tour banner. We also edited the scripting and coding to make everything fit together. This was a very lengthy process but it was worth it in the end. 


Website Home Page

The home page of the website has a header at the top advertising our artists new album which is called 'Addictive'. We also included an advertisement, which shows where the audience can buy the artists albums from. We also added a link to the artists official YouTube account where you can view the video. We thought this was a good idea as people can listen to the song and also view the video before purchasing the album, and also it means that they can comment on the video and they can also like it. We thought this was good as it means that the fans can interact with the artist and can openly view and comment on the video. We made the background black as we thought it would make the red font and pictures stand out, and we wanted to make it as eye catching as possible. Also we used a simple font to make it easy for the viewer to read.

Website Tour Dates

The tour page advertises the artists tour. It shows that the sponsor for the tour is Nike and this is clearly advertised underneath the tour dates banner. There is an official tour dates banner across the page, clearly showing the dates to the audience that the artist will be on tour. Also it shows that the company that the artist is managed by is AEG live. We got this idea originally from Beyonce's official website. We also researched that everything on most pop websites are Trademarked, so we decided to do the same on our site to make sure it has a professional look. 

Websites Bio Page

A biography page is a page about the artist telling their fans about their life and raise to fame. We decided to add this to our website as we thought it was a personal touch about the artist and it is also a way for the audience to learn more about Jayme-Lee. We added sponsors across the page as from previous research we found that on Pixie Lotts website, we saw she had a list of sponsors up on her website and we thought that this would be something that makes the artist look popular and interesting. We also thought that it was a way to grab the attention of the viewing audience. We added her partnerships on there such as record labels and music and tour promoters, as well as her actual sponsors such as Nike, Loreal and McDonalds. Another thing we found whilst researching existing pop music websites was that most celebrities have charities that they sponsor. We decided that our artist would sponsor KONY 2012 and War Child. 

Websites Store Page

We decided to add a store page as a place where fans can find where to buy the artists albums, can find the digipak artwork of the album cover, can find out what official retailers will sell the album and it also gives them the opportunity to buy the single separately from the album. The album is also sponsored by iTunes and this means that the fans can get discount from buying it from iTunes, rather than having to pay full price for it online. This was another thing we found during our research. Rhiannas site shows that she is sponsored by a music outlet and we thought that this would be a good idea for our artist. At the bottom of the page is a place where the artist has given quotes. We made this as it is interesting for the fans and also it is a way to direct them to the page where they can purchase the album. 

As you can see, our website fits in with the same type of layout of the ones i researched. Our website has a colour scheme, which is black, white and red and this is also eye catching to the viewing audience.  It is also used throughout the entire website. The artist herself is portrayed on the front page of the website with multiple pictures of herself. Another similarity to existing pop websites is that it is very simple and easy to access and use. It also includes the artists sponsors and charities that the artist sponsors herself. This was a common feature that we found when doing the research.

Website Analysis

As we made a website for our artist, i decided that before i started,  i should research pop genre websites to see what they were like, what type of images they used and also how the artist is represented. 

Rhianna

FIrstly i looked at rhiannas website as we was using her song for our music video. Heres the link to the website: http://www.rihannanow.com/music/

Here is a screen shot of rhiannas website:

As you can see from this screen shot, her website is very plain and simple. the colour scheme is black and white. The black text and images stand out on the white background and this is eye catching to the audience. The image on the front page of the website is a giant image of the artist herself. This is to show to the audience that the website is about her and it also shows us that she is the centre of attention. 

Here is one of the pages of the website: 

This is one of the pages on Rhiannas website. As you can see it is very simply laid out, the same as the front cover and it also includes very little colour and this is the same throughout her entire website. 

The audience is attracted to her website from the seductive images and also the fact that the black on the white background is eye catching. It is also a simple website that anyone of any age would be able to use. Girls would be attracted to her as they would look up to her and want to be like her, and boys may fancy her and like the images that are on the website.

 

Pixie Lott

The second website i looked at was Pixie Lotts. 

Here is the link to the website: http://www.pixielott.com/

Pixie Lotts website is very similar to Rhiannas in ways as it is very simply laid out. It includes images of the artist, and has a light background with dark writing. Pixies website includes more colour than Rhiannas and i found this website a little more eye catching. It uses different colours for different links on the website to make it easy for the audience to read and also the text is very simple which makes it easy to read. Personally, i find that the website represents the artist as being happy and bubbly with the pictures of her smiling and also by the use of the girly bright colours. 

Here is one of the pages of Pixie Lotts website:

This again, is very similar to Rhiannas Music page on her website but it just includes more colour. This may be a way of representing the artists personality. Even though they involve the same genre of music, they are both very individual people and are very different. The same colour scheme however, is used throughout the website, again the same as Rhiannas. 

The audience is attracted to the website by the look of the star and also by the colour scheme. Many girls see Pixie Lott as an idol and inspire what she does. Boys fancy her and want to find out more about her by her music. 

From my research i have found that pop websites are very similar. They all include a color scheme, they all have images of the artist, and they are all very simply laid out. This is what we will make sure that our website is like as we want to make sure that it fits in with the pop genre. 

Ancillary Digipak Analysis Back Cover

Although the image on the front cover of the digipak is black and white, we wanted the back to be in colour as we thought that the front cover is the most important and we wanted to make sure that it stood out. Therefore, we thought if the image was black and white with the bright red lipstick, it would be very eye catching to the audience. The back picture is in colour because we wanted this to look interesting and this was a section which we didn't need to be as eye catching as the front cover. Also, as we have created a pop video, and we have many scenes which jump from scene to scene, we wanted to create the same kind of effect on our digipak. Therefore, we have used two very different images which portray this same kind of effect. 

How does this product create the desired image of your artist?

The picture used on the back cover of the digipak is an image of the artist smoking. This shows rebellion and this is not common in 19 year old girls. Girls at this age have usually matured and have jobs or are studying A levels, however, this may suggest that there is something different about this particular girl and there may be some hidden meanings or messages which we will need to find out ourselves. 

How does this product appeal to the target audience?

The target audience ranges from 15 to 25 year olds, both males and females. We thought that there may be a male gaze from the boys in this image as she is provocatively dressed in short shorts and this is what boys would be attracted too. This may mean that they want to listen to her music to find out more about her, or maybe even buy her album, just for the posters which are included in the digipak. Girls and young women may see the artist as a role model and want to be like her as she produces a fresh, and 'cool' image. The colour scheme is also very eye catching as the colour red stands out. 

How does this product meet or subvert the conventions of digipak design you identified in your analysis of existing products?

As i have already explained before, i have previously researched many different pop digipaks and based a few ideas around them. We used a seductive image with her doing an act which is seen as rebellious as in many pop videos, artists are seen taking drugs, drinking alcohol or smoking. The image includes a dark background with the red text which is very overpowering and effective. A parental advisory badge was added to the back cover to show that it is not suitable for young children and also it gives a symbolic message that unsuitable acts may be shown in the videos. The artists website was also added to the back of the album so that the viewing audience can keep track of any of Jayme-Lees upcoming events. This is also a common feature on most existing digipaks. 

How does this tie in with your music promo?

As stated before, the first obvious similarity is the fact that the artist is used in both the digipak and music promo. The colour schemes are also the same and we can see the emotion shown in both the promo and digipak pictures.