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

Question 3: What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

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

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Question 1: In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Final Edit of Music Video 'Stay Awake' by The House of the Old Boat

Final Draft of Album Advertisement

Final Draft of Digipak

Focus Group Amendments to Music Video

Once getting feedback from my focus group, I made few alterations suggested by my target audience but decided not to increase the amount of shots displaying the clock. I don’t want the symbolism of the clock to overshadow my representation of my actors and the relationship between the characters. The clock is a metaphor for their relationship however the depiction of the characters interacting with one another is crucial to the narrative and I feel as if balance between presenting the clock and the characters is evenly balanced. Therefore just adding some effects to the still shots of the clock I think gives more focus to the backwards narrative. With the comments of making some props more explanatory to the park scenes, I think it should be left up to the audience to decide. I want my audience to have a negotiated reading so that a wider interpretation can be made to what I have decided, therefore their reading of the scene may be them walking home from school or maybe just hanging out with one another. It is the focus on the character interaction when a third member disrupts the harmony between the couple that should be the main focus, not so much what they are specifically doing. I also adjusted the text at the end of the video, changing the font to the new handwritten appeared typography. By making minimal adjustments, I feel I have done enough to satisfy my target audience in the way they understand a an indie subculture understand the music video.

Focus Group Amendments to Ancillary Products

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Focus Group Feedback

To access flowchart of focus group feedback click link below

http://www.gliffy.com/go/publish/7531743

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Focus group feedback was a very useful step in understanding whether my new designed product targets my indie audience. Through looking at my products and listening to their discussions, it gave me an insight as to how they were interpreting it and relating to it to themselves.

During discussing improvements for my music video, one person commented on the lack of performance shots present in the video that would be expected in an indie music video. However when including them before they became a clear distraction from the complexed reversed narrative, choosing me to challenge conventions in this genre. Yet the fact that my music video mentioned this shows I was on the right track in targeting my audience correctly.

Overall my focus group has given me a good selection of areas to improve on that will assure my product is targeting the correct indie audience.

Questions to ask for Focus Group

Questions for Focus Group

Second Draft of Album Advert

Relating to the same design as my digipak, my new advert grasps the idea of promoting an indie band much better. The clear album name and band name is now much clearer as to which is which, with a larger type face that an audience can recognise to be the main focal points of my product. The circle around my clock gives a great anchor point in which I curved my text around to give a creative balanced design for my layout. The minimal handwritten font works well against my strong imagery, yet they harmoniously work together in terms of importance. By using the same design, font and imagery as my digipak cover, I have created a clear brand identity that work well in demonstrating the connection of products that together create a successful promotional package.

Second Draft of Digipak

 

 



This is the second draft of my digipak. With only key elements taken from my previous design, I think the new layout really conveys the indie audience my product is aimed at. The softer tonal range works better with my clock image compared to the harsh dark colours of my previous design. Also taking influence from existing indie album designs and including the geometric shapes not only orders the imagery but works with the representation of a circular narrative the same as my music video. The track list works well curving around the inner edge, its track numbers appearing to represent the time on a clock, carrying the clock theme throughout the product. Changing the inner panel to have a burnt circle rather than clean cut represents the deterioration of the relationship as you open the digipak, revealing another burnt circle in the disk space. Including an editorial within the inside panel and between the lyrics makes my product more conscious of the bigger fans and show the band appreciate them. I think my new layout specifically speaks to my target audience through its recognisable layout, fonts and overall design that works well with my other products as a promotional package.



Redesigning After Hot Desking

If page doesn't load click link: http://issuu.com/theresakuhn/docs/amendments_to_products_after_hot_de_941d67e9d70e0d

Extended Research into Existing Indie Albums

From the feedback I gained my main priorities were to change my design as much as possible so it was addressing the right target market, this intending to be indie. Therefore I researched back into existing indie albums to refresh my mind on designs, layouts, colour schemes and font that reflect this genre.
Follow Theresa's board Indie Album Design on Pinterest.

Hot Desk Feedback for First Drafts of Ancillary Products

Critical Evaluation of First Draft of Album Advert

 

This was the outcome of my first draft for my album advert. It clearly carries the same design of the burning clock from my digipak cover, as well as the bands logo and Haettenschweiler font. I wanted the clock to have the same impact as it had on the album cover, making it take up 2/3 of the page. Increasing the size of the bands logo also adds visibility to audiences to recognise who this page is advertising. However I didn't need to over size it as I wanted to make sure the image carry the same recognition as the bands logo, so audiences could instantly connect two and two together.

 

Having the ratings at the top were deliberately put there, to catch the audiences attention first. The way they crowd round the image is also deliberate, to make it appear as if the band is encircled in good reviews that will give more persuasion to the audience to listen to them. The emboss styling of the stars also makes them appear like a badge or stamp, as if they've been approved and awarded by reviewers, with a drop shadow that leaps them off the page. In red, they not only fit in with the colour scheme but reflect the danger, passion and love that this album relates to.

 

Writing at the bottom is organised, varying in sentence length and colour. Listing platforms in which to listen to it directly targets the indie target audience, widening availability for people fond of this genre of music, but also for those wanting to listen to something new. Mentioning the 'hit single Stay Awake' also makes connections with the music video I have also produced, promoting not only the album but the song and music video as well. Adding another emboss feature to the 'DEBUT ALBUM OUT NOW' balances the image and makes it also leap from the page. Having this final line in capitals creates more demand towards the audience, showing the album is out and it is now necessary to buy it.

 

Now I had created my first draft I would then show this to my focus group to gain feedback to make sure it targeted my indie audience the best way.

Constructing my Album Advert

Experimenting with Layer Styles

When making my advert one thing I wanted to experiment with was the 'banner' displaying the stars of a rating from a review at the top of the advert.  Although I could keep it flat on the page I wanted to take it further and develop my skills in styling the layer so it stood out in a page.

 

I started by looking at the different style icons next to the history bar on Photoshop. When hovering over each gave a brief description as to the effect of it. Pressing on the one circled below, it came up with making the layer have a drop shadow, gradient overlay,

bevel emboss and stroke.

 

 

I started by adjusting bevel and emboss. Changing size and depth gave a clearer outline for the shape appear to be printed on, whereas shading would then deepen the lines and have them come out the page more. Moving the angle marker would then vary the way in which the shape would stick out. For my version, I made it point downwards as if looking down on the rest of the words.

 

 

Secondly I readjusted the drop shadow. Much like the shadow levels of the emboss tool, I could rotate the angle of the shadow to fit my image. Also the distance could change how far away the shadow was from the shape. I thought I would readjust it so the shadow was the same distance the clock gave to the backdrop.

 

 

Changing the gradient was quite simple, giving a gradual change in colour across the stars. Also scale could adjust how strong it was over the image.

 

Finally creating a stroke was one of the simple but most effective buttons. Just moving the size marker could increase the width of the stroke around the object, with  preview to the right of the box. Looking at the preview display was useful in all different layer styles as it prevented having to keep going over the same style if you wanted to alter it.

 

 

This was my final outcome which showed a clear difference from my first design. The layer styles were successful in making it stand out from the page, as if hovering over the image itself. The emboss styles also gave a more texturized feel to the shapes, making them almost appear like medals been awarded to the band. Experimenting with these editing tools were very useful in the development of my product and my own skills, as now I've used and understand their purpose I can apply them to future projects and creations.

Adjusting my Music Video: Edit 4

Due to me designing my digipak and advert designs on a more traditional style clock, I needed to show my video to have the same consistency and still be relevant to both products. This meant going back and changing the existing clock present in my music video and replacing it. I did the same style footage with the new clock, displaying it in front of a bright backdrop that almost created a dreamy effect to it. Once in Premier Pro I then gave it the same attributes as the original footage, making sure it still showed as a time laps and went backward in time. Whilst editing I thought I would also include end credits displaying the bands name, the directors name (being me) and listing the actors involved. I used the same Haettenschweiler font to correspond with my brand identity of the band.