Individual Response

Q1) In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

The main conventions of a hip-hop music video were not really used as a guideline for us as we created our video. For example, the clothing we were wearing throughout the video was more of a retro style, whilst still using expensive and well known brands such as Nike and Ralph Lauren. This differs from a more conventional hip-hop video as you would normally expect to see the artist in flashy and modern clothes, with hugely expensive jewelry on show; promoting the artist in a visual way, you would also expect to see young, good looking women somewhere in the video, again, this would promote the artist visually. Props in a conventional music video would include expensive jewelry and money, showing a 'rags to riches' theme in some ways. We chose not to dress our characters in our best set of clothes as we felt it would differ from the tone and background of the song, the fact that neither the song or artist are that well known meant we were free to explore a less conventional world of hip-hop culture. In our video we focused more on the underbelly of society, with urban streets and alleyways being our main setting, rather than 5* hotels and sunny beaches. Again, we thought this suited the flow of the song better, almost due to the lack of popularity amongst the wider community.We also took inspiration from our studied director; Jonathan Glazer, who's previous music videos almost play out as a short film, with some lip syncing added in, an example of this is Richard Ashcroft: A Song For The Lovers. Clear comparisons can be made from Jonathan Glazer's work to our video, with a similar layout used as well as certain camera shots.


Q2) How Effective Is The Combination of Your Main Product and Ancillary Texts?

Our magazine advert and DVD cover both feature the same font, colours and graffiti background featured in our video, this is an example of positive continuity and is important as it makes all 3 products and themes featured more relatable to each other. The font used throughout our products is appropriate to the hip-hop genre, this further promotes the artist in a continuous fashion showing underground style throughout. Both the magazine advert and DVD cover almost act as an introduction to our music video, we introduce the basis of our video in our digipak using images of microphones and money together, this intrigues the audience into wondering why we would use seemingly basic images as such a big part in the pack. By doing so, it begins to introduce the main plot of our video in which microphones are a substitute for illegal drugs, using the props on our cover also effectively points the audience towards the narrative, rather than the artist as the video is based more on the narrative itself than the characters involved.
As a group, we feel there could have been small improvements could have been made to our products, especially to the magazine advert, although we still maintain belief that our products promote both the artist and video, a stronger magazine advert wouldn't have done any harm. For example, I feel we would have benefited from more time to edit the advert, we could have tweaked effects, such as using tools to brush over the harsh lines between pictures to make for a more aesthetically pleasing advert. Other than these small errors, I feel that we have created a very effective and interesting set of products.

Q3) What Have You Learnt From Your Audience Feedback?

We have come along way from our initial feedback, without the chance to receive the feedback I feel our video would not be anywhere near the standard we have now achieved.
The main consensus after viewing our pitch was that we had a 'mediocre' idea, which needed to be altered away from the stereotypical 'teenage boy' culture if we were to reach high marks. The initial storyline actually included dealing drugs, however after consideration we removed the profanity of drugs but still kept the same idea, expanded it, and ended up with what we feel is a much more appropriate solution with the microphones being a substitute. By doing this we were still able to keep the foundations of our original idea of which we felt really strongly, and we also made it much more appropriate to the audience whilst still maintaining a sense of realism. After creating our rough cut, a new level of feedback could take place. We could see our own ideas being formed before us and we used the feedback to mould and control it. W received notes informing us the shots were too long, with not enough variety of angles, this helped us to push our marks towards the higher bands. Planning our rough cut was when the idea of microphones and rapping being illegal came into shape, after audiences viewed our piece, they much preferred this change as it made it more appropriate whilst still being understandable. Our peers also thought the video would become a better, more rounded piece if we added lip syncing in, to make it more like a music video rather than just a story with music over the top. WE decided this would be a good idea and so added lip syncing to the choruses. This made it more like a music video, whilst still enabling us to continue with our original idea of focusing on the narrative.
After working with the feedback and using it constructively, we feel we have collaborated to make a well rounded, engaging music video, which uses and also challenges typical hip-hop conventions in relation to the music played. The audience was particularly positive about the subtle twist using the microphones, but said some shots were a bit shaky and the mugging scene wasn't very clear. In hindsight, we could have switched from handheld shots to the tripod in places, as well as selecting clearer places to shoot the mugging scene from.

Q4) How Did You Use in the Construction and Research, Planning and Evaluation Stages?

The foundations of our product was based around our blog, everytime we came up with an idea, whether it be about camera angles or costumes, we would write it on the blog. Even out of college hours we were still able to access the technology and brainstorm ideas individually, whilst still allowing the rest of the group to see. If we didn't blog our ideas and progress, the whole process would have been allot harder to move forward with out altercations along the way.
Another piece of technology we couldn't have lived without, especially in the construction stage, is Final Cut Express. This was used from the moment we uploaded our first clip, to the last adaptation of contrast. My skills on Final Cut Express have developed more so this year than any previous, I have learnt how to fine tune every detail including transition length, colour control and play speed. All these new skills combined with basic shot cutting made this video a much deeper experience than previous projects, with a free flowing and quick cutting tense watch as the intention.
Photoshop was used to create the digipak. Before this year, we had very little experience in using it effectively so we were thrown in at the deep end. However, knowing that we had to work quickly and effectively in order to create a worthy digipak enabled us to knuckle down and take full advantage of the opportunity for more available marks. The chemistry of the group grew as we were all to the technology, and so all helped eachother in finding the best nad most suitable tools and effects for our pictures. We quickly found a font appropriate for the pack and set to work manipulating its colour, size and even some aspects of its shape in order for it to compliment other aspects of the cover and advert.