Evaluation

Evaluation

The brief I chose for my Advanced Portfolio was 'to produce a promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video. 'Together with a cover for it's release on CD/DVD and a magazine advertisement for CD/DVD.

Before I began creating my overall promotional package I carried out extensive research on music videos and their conventions including the history of music videos and why it is important for an artist to have a music video. I analysed three music videos which are shown via YouTube - which also reflects the effects of digitalisation of the media industry as music videos are now not only shown on televisions but also through the Internet. Because of the Internet the video is likely to be seen by a wide audience range therefore having a good music video to accompany the song is essential for marketing it as the music video can stay in the audience's mind. In analysing the three music videos I have defined conventions which I can use in my own work. I have also defined my target audience by using a questionnaire, therefore I was able to analyse music videos which my target audience were likely to watch. In analysing the three music videos I have also defined how music videos are constructed, what camera angles and sequences are popular therefore I was able to plan these conventions in my own work. I also defined whether music videos focused more on the narrative or artist performance, again I was able to use this knowledge when creating my own work. I have also taken into consideration the audience's expectations and target audience's needs to ensure that the video is appealing to them.

Overall I found this brief a lot more difficult than the AS media tasks as there was a lot more to take into consideration in creating the three texts. There were also new skills to be learnt such as editing the music video and how to define the target audience efficiently. We also had to research conventions of three types of medium whereas last year we had to research just one - a magazine. Time management was also a lot more intense as there was so much to do, the volume of work was very high and extra time is essential as it was not always possible to edit and film when planned.

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

I think that all my media texts use the traditional conventions of that specific medium. I spent a lot of time researching the conventions of all three texts and therefore had a strong idea what to include in my own work and how to structure it.

Before creating my music video I researched the conventions of music videos so I could use these in my own work. I found that the conventions are montage sequences, 'mickey mousing' (miming), voyeuristic pleasure, notion of looking - provocative outfits/dancing and the artist looking as attractive as possible. The use of the provocative ‘feel’ and the audience’s view of this can be explored using the ‘Uses and Gratifications audience theory.’ The media is created to gratify the audience in a specific way, and the use of provocative and attractive imagery presents the media in a specific way as well as gratifying the audience’s needs. The audience theory states: ‘Social situations and psychological characteristics motivate the need for media, which motivates certain expectations of that media.’ This, in the context of the music videos I have researched which are popular contemporary dance videos, basically reflects that the social way in which audiences would discuss these music videos and act in response to such videos is defined by the provocative imagery contained in the videos. It is also expected of these music videos to contain such ‘provocative’ imagery, therefore it becomes a convention because audiences expect this.

Montage sequences are basically the full structure of music videos, which I have used in my own. Every shot is different which makes up the video. Montage sequences create pleasure within the audience as they make the music video interesting and makes it possible to make the sequence go on time to the beat of the song and different shots go with different lyrics/parts of the song. I have used this a lot in my own work as the outfits and actions link with the lyrics and parts of the song.'Mickey mousing' creates continuity in the music video as the miming to the song ensures the sequence flows with the song. It also reflects the artist as a performer. I have used this in mine a few times which draws the audience in as they are seeing the artist performing and gives them voyeuristic pleasure. It is hard to fit the exact footage of the miming with the lyrics of the song but with care it is possible.

Voyeuristic pleasure creates pleasure within the audience as they are watching the performer without them knowing, which stimulates pleasure in a person's brain. The influence of the artist on the audience can be subliminal as the audience could start to act out traits of the artist and buy clothing like theirs. For this the artist has to seem attractive to the target audience so the audience will either want to be them or gain pleasure in watching them. I have used this in my own work as the artist is seen as attractive and dances in a revealing outfit which creates pleasure in the audience watching them. This also fits with notion of looking as the revealing outfit and provocative dancing and actions reflect the artist as being attractive.

Another convention is that the narrative links in some way with the lyrics of the song. I have used this in my own work as the actions I have used, such as 'Friday to Friday' and the she-wolf 'in the closet' have being used to link with the lyrics. The full narrative of the video also goes with the lyrics.

I also researched conventions of the ancillary texts and used these in my own work. This was easier than creating the music video as I had a base image of a 'real' advert and album cover to base my own work around therefore ensuring my work looks as realistic as possible as I could concentrate carefully on every small detail. The conventions I found with the magazine adverts were that there were usually two adverts on the same page advertising the artist, one including tour dates, there is an image included on the advert - of the artist, details are usually in small text but also stand out colour wise, the artist is shown looking as attractive as possible and adverts are usually in a rectangle shape.

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

I think that my products are effective as I had researched appropriate media texts and doing this defined the conventions which I then used in my own work. My main product contains conventions of music videos and therefore this makes it effective as this is what the audience expect. The narrative reflects the artist in an appealing way which is a convention and what i wanted the video to do. The ancillary texts mainly back this view of the artist as they show her as attractive, fun and also elegant which is attractive to the audience. The costumes I have used also reflect the artist as how I wanted to and the dark colours I chose for the outfits connotate to the genre and feel of the song which is horror. The outfits used reflect a sexual feel too as they are tight fitted which show off the artist’s figure. I chose the props carefully also to create the right look which I think was successful. For example, I used my rabbit as a prop as the animal ideology fitted in with the narrative idea of the she-wolf hunting her prey, the cookies I used in the tray with the oven gloves in the same scene reflects the domestic ideology of the she wolf being stuck at home and forced into a domestic lifestyle, the pole-dancing pole reflects a provocative and suggestive ideology – which is a convention of dance music videos, the disco ball I used and the strobe lighting I used reflects the feel of a ‘nightclub’ – therefore I used these props to create a setting. The locations also reflected the narrative of the lyrics so therefore was effective in showing the narrative to the audience, for example the indoor domestic setting reflects the domestic and ‘perfect home’ ideology I wanted to reflect and the forest-like setting reflects the ideology of the she wolf being an actual creature.

I researched the conventions of magazine adverts and CD covers so I could use these in my own work. In choosing the album front cover I thought carefully about what image I could use. I chose to use an elegant image which also included the elements of the genre of the song which is horror. This successfully reflected the artist as being attractive and elegant and also reflected the genre of the song. The dark colours and lighting used also reflected this genre and therefore promoted the song well as the genre of the song is very clear to the audience. In creating the magazine advert I decided to use two adverts to reflect the artist in the lights I wanted the audience to see her in as this would make her attractive and also seem fun and also elegant. I spent a lot of time making sure that micro details were to perfection therefore making the adverts seem as realistic as possible. I think that the magazine adverts promote the promotional package and also the artist well to the audience. I made sure I used the same colour scheme and style in creating the magazine advert for the promotional package to ensure that the audience would recognise it and link it with the album.

However, to improve my work I could have possibly created an official logo for the artist as conventionally artist's have one.

What have you learnt from audience feedback?

Audience feedback is essential in the evaluation process as it gives an insight into what others think of your work therefore helping to create a non-biased equal truthful view of your work.

To ensure helpful feedback I created a questionnaire that I handed out to various unbiased people who were nearby to the media room to fill in whilst viewing my music video. These people were around 17-18, which is the mainstream audience age, there were of either genders and from mixed social classes. I gave them questions to mark out of ten to give an opinion on how good they thought my music video was and also what would need improving. I designed this by including a question with the numbers to choose underneath this to rate my music video. I also filled out one for myself which I could then compare to other's views therefore it was clear what would possibly need improving.

Overall the highest score I gained was 9 for how interesting the narrative was and the lowest score I gained was 4 for the lighting. Altogether on average the highest scores were given to how interesting the narrative was and the lowest was costumes and props. This showed me that, although it is not good that I lost marks on the costumes and props I scored high marks for an important convention - an interesting narrative. I also personally asked a small selection of people to view my music video and talk to me about what they felt were the best parts and what needed to be improved. Most people liked the parts with the rabbit in them as they found it amusing and original and also the slow motion of the dancing and fades towards the end of the video. People mostly thought I could improve the dark lighting used in the bar scenes as they were not clear enough. Compared to my own questionnaire I completed I saw a link in the audience's feedback and my own - we had the same views and opinions. In completing both methods I gained both qualitative and quantitative research. The questionnaires I created gained quantitative information for me which was successfully used to gain an overall basic opinion of my music video which therefore gave me a useful insight into what would need changing the most. However, with quantitative data I could not gain exact opinions on my work therefore the quantitative data, which involved talking to people and asking their opinion directly, came in useful as I could define the little points in what needed improving.

I learnt from this that I have a good judgement on my own work therefore if I feel that something needs improving it probably does because other people agree.

For my ancillary texts I sent my work to various people over the Internet using MSN messenger and asked various people for their opinions. I used this method rather than another questionnaire as the music video is a piece of footage that changes and you have to follow therefore it was easier to use a basic method of collecting feedback - the questionnaire. However, the ancillary texts are basically 'what you see is what you get' therefore I was able to have a conversation about exactly what worked and what didn't. Luckily, everyone who I asked liked my texts and didn't see any room for improvement apart from one person who suggested the front cover of the album be lighter.

I also included a poll on my blog which people can vote on. This gave me an insight into how effective my products are and also how realistic they look. It also let me know if I needed to improve them in any way to make them more effective in promoting the artist.

How did you use new media technologies in construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

I had used blogger.com for my AS coursework so therefore I already had a good knowledge in how to use it which was a big advantage as new technology was essential in creating the music video. Because of my knowledge of blogger.com I was able to add things such as audience polls, images and videos. The polls on my blog were used to gain audience feedback on my work which I found useful. I sent my blog address to people on networking sites such as 'Facebook' and also through MSN to gain as much feedback as I could. I ensured that the people who went on my blog were of the target age I had defined therefore ensuring I could hit the expectations of the particular target audience.

In creating my animatic which proved useful in creating my final music video as it gave me an idea of the timings of shots and also gave me an idea of anything I would need to change for the final video. It really helped me as I found I could plan shots to be at exact timings in the song and quite a few shots did not fit therefore I had chance to rethink and re-plan these. I scanned the storyboard sheet onto my computer and using paint I cropped the images accordingly and used Windows Movie Maker to place the images in order. I already knew how to use all of this software and hardware so I was at an advantage. I downloaded the music from I-tunes (I had done this previously) and imported this into Windows Movie Maker and then placed the image accordingly based on the music.

The largest challenge for me was learning how to use 'Adobe Premier Pro' - the college software used for editing the videos. I was already familiar with uploading videos and understood how to do this. In filming my music video I firstly used the college camera and then my own with my own tape which caused a slight problem as the tapes used in combination with the editing suites have to be blanked first so it does not mess up the time code and my own tape was not blanked. However, I got around this problem by simply capturing the footage onto the computer. I also included two images of the moon in my video and used a memory stick to transfer this from my home computer to the editing suite and then simply imported this, as I did the soundtrack. I already knew how to import files as I have a program on my home computer similar to Adobe. However, I needed to learn new skills in actually editing my video which included dissolving, changing the speed of slip, changing colour and lighting and placing the clips : one above and one below etc not on the same line - to prevent one clip cancelling out another. To do this I had to have a tutorial on how to use the software. After this, and a little experimenting, I began to feel confident enough to edit my video alone making sure I regularly saved me work to ensure a backup if anything went wrong. To get the video onto my blog I simply used a memory stick to capture it from the editing suite and take a copy onto a computer and them embed it into my blog.

In creating the ancillary texts I was in my element as I really enjoy creating texts such as magazine adverts and I knew how to use the software very well. I used the same software as I did for my AS media coursework - Ulead Photo Express - as I understand this well. I did not use photoshop as although I am becoming more familiar with it i find it a little too complex to use. I also used a website called Picnik as I am also familiar with this and although it does the same functions as Ulead photo Express I find Picnik easier to use for some things such as editing the background of an image. In taking my photographs for my ancillary texts I used a canon camera which I previously bought for photography. It is a good quality camera with high pixels which ensured I had a clear image to work with. I attached a flash box to the camera but found this to be too bright so stuck with the camera's own flash.

It was then very simple to transfer this work onto my blog as I used the upload image tool and upload video tool to embed the images and video files. I also backed up all my work in a word document which ensured I had a backup copy if anything went wrong.

What can be improved?

To improve my music video I would firstly, although not possible, use a better quality camera as this would make my video look more attractive and more professional. In the industry professional cameras are used which create the touched up glossy ‘look’ which we view on our television screens. The camera I used was okay but the overall picture quality was not as clear and defined as I would like it to be. I would also have loved to airbrush the artist, which is a tool commonly used by industry professionals to create, again, glossy finished videos. I would plan my time better as I found it a struggle to finish everything and it was hard to arrange fixed dates for anything as something usually came up. I would definitely improve the lighting in the bar scenes which was also noted by the audience in answering the questionnaires I created and also during the quantitative data collecting (conversations.) To improve the lighting I would have used professional but practically portable studio lighting which I could have set up in the bar and therefore created exactly what lighting I wanted – bright and clear but also with a few shadows to create the right atmospheric feel. The current lighting during these bar scenes is too dark and gives a really unprofessional look to the video and it also makes it hard for the audience to see exactly what is happening.

To improve my work overall I would have spent more time thinking up an unusual, unique practical idea that would have stood out. I would have also changed the song I used as it was hard to adhere to a narrative based on this without the footage looking down market. If possible, I would have chosen a completely different song and video structure idea which included a band playing, perhaps ‘I fought the law –The Clash’ as I could have included shots of the band performing as well as a story line. I could also have used black and white colouring by adjusting the saturation levels to create a classy looking video which would have fit in the chronological timing with the song (The Clash performed in the 70’s where black and white music videos were still popular.) I would have done this as, now I have viewed other people’s work, I have realised that these type of videos look the most attractive and are also interesting to watch. They seem realistic whereas my own doesn’t due to, partly the limited equipment, but also the struggle I faced trying to create a music video to fit in entirely with the song.

Creating Of The Magazine Advert And The Final Product

In creating my magazine advert I had to create two separate adverts as I had chosen to include a tour date advert and an advert for the promotional package. This was because I wanted to show the artist in two lights to make her seem more attractive and appealing to the audience: one way I want to portray her is elegant and classy - which is shown in the promotional package advert, and fun and wild - which is shown in the tour advert. I took into consideration the conventions of adverts to ensure that it looked as realistic as possible.

Stages Of Creating My Tour Advert

1. I uploaded the image onto the same website I used in editing the image for my album cover: Picnik.

2. I used the cropping tool to crop the image to where I wanted and where I thought it would look best: in this case just below the thigh and above the head.

3. I used the 'doodle' tool to go around the background in white so that I was later able to copy and paste the image easily onto a white background.

4. I edited the contrast and brightness using the exposure tool.

5. I edited sharpness and added some grain to the image accordingly. I also used the program Ulead Photo Express to add in a few slashes of colour to make the image more eye-catching.

6. Using Ulead Photo Express I added, and edited, the text to be as visually attractive and realistic a possible.

7. Also using Ulead Photo Express I pasted images of record labels and the black banner in.

- Here is the tour date advert I created. It includes the conventions of tour date adverts: an image of the artist, large text showing the artist's name, the dates of the tour, places of the tour, contact numbers, websites and record label logos. The black bar at the bottom of the advert is typical of a tour advert and also ensures the text stands out as the font is white. The image of the artist is bright, so blend in with the background which is plain white, so therefore stands out. The image of her is large and dominant. She is singing into a microphone not looking at the camera - which is not engaging with the audience but instead showing her in action obviously on tour so this is appealing to the audience as she looks active and engaged in her performance therefore her tour is reflected as being interesting and she is reflected as being very into her work. She is wearing a bright pink bikini and a ripped grey top which connotate to her 'wild' fun personality which will be interesting to watch at a show. As well as her skimpy outfit - which will also make her seem attractive (again appealing to the audience) - which shows her as being active during the tour (as her shirt is ripped which seems as if she has got too hot and therefore it is ripped to cool her down) she is also covered in baby oil which gives her a 'sweaty' wet look as if she is really hot from dancing and singing at her tour, again reflecting her as a good performer. I have used a large, distorted font for the main text of the artist's name. I firstly placed a black shadow of this text and then placed the colourful text subtly over this to make it stand out even more. The colour I have used for the text is a gradient fill which blends from a bluey green to a pink colour. This stands out and also undertakes a 'girlie' feel which links with the artist being female and also suggest the type of music performed - girlie dance music. The fact that the artist text and image of the artist are located to the left and right of the image create a feel of these surrounding the other text, which makes them both seem dominant and they stand out. I used a pink colour for the names of the tour places to again add a girlie feel. The contact numbers and dates are in black as I found this a convention of tour adverts. I have also used small neon coloured patterns on some parts of the image of the artist so that it links in with the main artist text and also creates a fun 'dancey' bright feel which I wanted.

-Here is the album advert which advertises the album 'She-wolf.' I have used the same image as the front cover for the album as the main background image and cropped it so that the face of the artist is clear. I have also edited the saturation so that it is in black and white which creates a classy, elegant feel - the opposite of the tour date advert which is what i wanted to do as it reflects the artist in two different views therefore ensuring she is attractive to men in the tour date advert but also woman wish to look like her in the second advert as she is seen looking classy, pretty and elegant. I have included the conventions of other media texts within this advert, including the large font size used for the artist's name, the small image of the album cover - with 'in stores now' placed above this and the large noticeable image of the artist. The black and white colour scheme add a more mature classy feel to the image, as with the tour date advert it creates a fun, bubbly feel - both images reflecting on different personalities of the artist therefore making her more appealing to a wider audience range. The white bar at the bottom of the image blends in with the main image which is a convention of adverts as many adverts do this. The fact that I have used the same image as the album cover will attract the audience as they will recognise the image from the album cover therefore the artist will stick in their mind and seeing the large black and white recognisable image will provoke a memory of seeing her before.

- Here is the full page advert. I decided to use two adverts together because this is a convention of music/artist adverts. It also enabled me to show the arist in two different lights - fun and bubbly and mature and classy.

Magazine Advert Designs

In creating my magazine advert I have a choice of various layouts and designs that I could use. I will take into consideration the conventions of magazine adverts, especially the ones I have analysed. My advert is aimed to promote the album to the target audience and persuade them to consume it. It is also aimed to promote the artist as well as the album.

Layouts Of The Page

The actual page the advert will be placed on can be a whole page or a page which is split, including other adverts. The most effective adverts are larger as they are more eye-catching.

Here are my designs for the page layout: (Blank boxes are other adverts of other artists etc

I have chosen to use the second layout (Top Right) for my advert as I can portray my artist in different ways which will be attractive to the target audience. I can portray her as dark, sexy and dangerous in the album advert and as fun and bright in the tour advert. Also, both adverts combined use up a full page so it will be eye-catching to the audience. Also, it is a good idea that one page can advertise two adverts which the target audience will very probably consume.

Advert Designs

I have created some draft designs of what my advert will look like. I have taken the conventions of adverts into consideration in creating my own work and these conventions are visible throughout my designs.

I have chosen to use the third draft for my advert as it is the most attractive layout and the image is in the centre on the tour advert therefore draws the audience's attention to the main artist.

Magazine Advert Analysis

I have also decided to create a magazine advert to advertise and promote the artist.

The first thing to do is to decide which type of magazine the advert would be placed in as this is very important in engaging with the target audience - it is important that the particular magazine is known to be consumed by the specific target audience the artist is aimed at as this will successfully promote them. E.g. an advertisement for 'The Beatles' printed in an RnB music magazine would be pointless as the specific audience who consume 'The Beatles' are unlikely to consume an RnB magazine and the RnB fans who consume the magazine are unlikely to be persuaded to buy anything to do with 'The Beatles' as they do not enjoy this genre of music.

I have defined my target audience as people of various ages who listen to popular chart dance music so therefore I would choose to place an advert in a magazine which these people consume - which would be a popular magazine containing information about dance magazine or chart magazine. I would also choose a magazine aimed at mixed genders as I have defined the target audience as being both males and females.

Magazines I have found that are targeted at mixed genres of various ages who are interested in chart music and/or dance music:

http://www.djmag.com/ - DJ mag is a UK dance music magazine. It seems to be aimed at both genders of various ages. However, it seems to be about the technical side of dance music therefore is probably aimed at DJs and people who are interested in music technology as it includes tips on mixing and software that includes material for DJs and mixers to use. However, it does include a Chart and Review section on the website but in looking at this I have noticed that all the music that has been reviewed is of a pure dance music genre and the artists are specifically just dance music artists and not recognised or popular names. Also, the image of the current front cover of the magazine includes a head shot of an unrecognised face, (in the charts) and he is male - and seems to be a DJ or producer rather than somebody who is currently in the charts with his face in lots of magazines - which would be the case for my artist. In conclusion, although the magazine seems to be aimed at both genders, perhaps though more male, and is about dance music it would be the wrong magazine to place an advert for my artist in as the genres of dance music are different (the songs my artist would produce are more 'chart/pop dance' whereas the music that is advertised in this magazine are targeted at people who are interested in pure dance music and more the technical aspect.) Therefore, it would be breaking the conventions of the magazine to advertise a chart/pop dance song and will probably not attract many of my target audience as they probably do not consume this magazine and the people who do consume this magazine will most probably prefer pure dance music. - Basically artists advertised in this magazine are the faces behind dance music, whereas my artist is a face of the music (celebrity).



http://www.smashhits.net/ Smash Hits magazine contains adverts and information about current artists in the charts, however looking at the website it has now combined with Heat magazine to create a similar magazine instead of previously being a magazine itself - after reading more information about the magazine I have found out that it has closed after been a victim of the rise of digital media. The website, and image of the magazine, contains the latest gossip about celebrities, interviews with current chart toppers and a top ten chart predictor. Therefore, the magazine (if Heat magazine is the 'new' Smash Hits) will contain the same type of context (as the website is advertising the magazine after all) and therefore will contain advertisements advertising similar artists to the artist I am promoting. This means that the target audience I am aiming at consume this magazine as the artists published in this magazine are chart/pop dance artists. However, the girlie colour scheme used on the website (purples and pinks) and the fact that celebrity gossip is included in the magazine suggest that it is aimed at a female audience rather than a mixed gender audience so therefore it may not be wise to publish an advert in this magazine as the males of my target audience may not see this. However, it will be hard to find a magazine which is aimed at both genders and also includes interests and genres of music that my target audience would consume. The website also seems to be aimed at a teen girl audience as the lip gloss samples and language and colours used suggest this so although the magazine seems to be consumed by some of my target audience, all of my target audience may not consume it as it seems to be aimed at teenage girls.

-In spending much more time searching the net and browsing shops I failed to find any magazine that is aimed at my specific target audience overall. Therefore I will have to create an advert for a magazine that I have 'created' myself and only use the actual artist advertisements, for chart/pop dance artists, in other magazines for inspiration and to define the conventions of these adverts to use in my own work.

The name of my magazine will be 'Influence' as I think that this is a modern, catchy name for a magazine and also connotates to the content which is in the magazine - The magazine will contain text about chart artists including fashion, gossip and interviews, including men's fashion and sport information so the magazine appeals to a male audience as well as female, and therefore these artists are being reflected to have an influence on the audience itself who will be consuming these artists in the ways in which the magazine portrays them. For example - A good review about a certain artist in the magazine about a particular album by them will encourage the audience to go and buy this album, but if it was a bad review they audience may be reluctant to consume this album - therefore creating an influence. The aim of my advertisement will be to influence the audience to consume material by the artist I am promoting.



Magazine Advertisement Analysis



This magazine advert is a full page poster advert. It is likely to be found towards the end pages of the magazine as this is usually where music reviews and chart listings are located. It consists of a large image of the artist (Madonna) performing during her tour. The colours have been edited to show her in pink, orange, black, white, yellow, blue and purple. This blends in with the background which is also multicoloured. She looks attractive and is wearing interesting clothing and looks very confident which suggests that her tour will be entertaining - which is successfully promoting the tour as people will be persuaded to go. The slight low angle also reflects her confidence and dominance whilst still being flattering. The artist's name (Madonna) is placed slightly to the lower part of the poster but is the text that is placed first and nearest to the middle of the poster overall which helps to make it eye-catching. The font itself is basic, large and rounded - creating a fun, but also eye-catching, bubbly feel. It uses the same colour scheme which is used as the image's background and overall image colour. The title of the tour is in the same font and uses the same colour scheme but is remarkably smaller in size, therefore ensuring that the name of the artist is most eye-catching - which immediately draws the audience to the poster as they will see the name of the artist (who they supposedly will like) first and will be drawn to read the rest of the poster (basically, the name of the artist is the most important piece of text as it will be this that attracts the audience as well as the main image.) The name of the tour, 'Sticky and sweet', links with the colour scheme as the colours are like 'sweet' colours. The vertical and horizontal lines used create a unique, unusual, and together with the colour scheme and image, an 80's 'disco' feel which is important to note as Madonna was really well known in the 1980's and her music is usually dance or disco music. The rest of the font is placed in front of a black background, which is placed overall to the bottom of the image. The rest of the font is in white and yellow so it still stands out over the black background but also does not direct the audience's attention from the artist name and image as this font is smaller and not multi-coloured, just basic white and yellow. Logos of websites, TV companies and radio companies are placed in a line which reflect the fact that it is a magazine promotional advert. Text containing the website is also placed underneath this to promote the website which will obviously give further details about the tour. A small image of her album cover is placed to the left of the poster. This advert would probably be found in similar magazines as to which my artist's advert would be found in - chart music, gossip and dance music magazines such as Heat magazine and Closer magazine.

Overall I really like this poster as it is eye-catching and bright. It really reflects the genre of the music as being fun,bubbly, disco/dance and light-hearted. This colour scheme and overall idea however would be too bright and 'cheerful' looking for the song that my artist sings in the music video and probably all her other music, but I could use the idea of different colours and fonts reflecting the genre of the music in my own work and I will aim to make the artist as attractive as possible to appeal to the audience.





This magazine advert also uses the multicoloured colour scheme but this time with the artist in front of the colours, not engaging with them in any way. The artist is stood, obviously outside -suggested by the grim building he is next to, wearing a plain black jacket and dark jeans - also suggesting he is outside - in the night looking very serious with his hands in his pockets. He is not engaging with the audience in anyway as he is looking away from the camera but because of his serious stance and serious expression the audience are attracted to this image, wondering why he is so serious. This also suggests what the music is like - probably slow, serious and meaningful. The overall image takes up the full half page and again the advert would probably be found towards the end of the magazine near where music reviews and chart lists are usually placed. The main text is, like previously, the name of the artist - it is the largest text and placed at the top of the image therefore showing this. The font itself in in white and a stencil/army type font which also reflects the serious mood. The white colouring ensures the text stands out against the background. The other text is placed underneath the artist name in smaller font to the bottom left of the image and is also in white to ensure it stands out. Text includes a website to view and a telephone number to call for more information of the tour and how to book tickets to the tour. Overall, the serious dark mood of the image is made to stand out and be eye-catching using the multicoloured lights. This advert would probably be found in a more indie magazine such as NME, or a magazine aimed at older people as the serious feel reflects this idea.

Overall I think this advert reflects the mood of the genre of music sucessfully in the artist's stance and expression but because of the dark colouring in the background and the artist's costume the artist does not stand out as much as he should which would catch the audience's eyes more. I also think that the advert should be larger to ensure it is more eye-catching, especially as it lacks in the artist being eye-catching and lacks a fun, exicting feel. I feel that the advert almost makes the tour seem boring as it is too serious and not a very exciting image, but then again the advert is probably aimed at a more mature audience.






This magazine advert looks cool and breezy. Again the name of the artist is dominant - placed at the top of the image in the largest font. The font colour is a palish blue colour and reflects the 'cool' and fresh feel of the advert. However, the font used is elegant and old fashioned which ensures that is visually pleasing to look at and adds a classy feel. The rest of the font is remarkably smaller and is placed in columns to the right of the main image and underneath the artist's name. The places of the tours are in the same colour as the artist's name making them stand out more than the not as bold black font with phone numbers underneath these. The font underneath this to the bottom of the image is also in black and in even smaller print - which includes phone numbers and website addresses which will be used to book tickets for the tour and view more details of the tour. At the bottom of the advert a blue bar, the same colour as the artist font, stretches along the bottom with text informing the audience that 38 tours have sold out (in black and white font to stand out) - this is a method used to 'panic' the audience into buying tickets and also reflects how popular the tour is making it seem an exciting, cool and popular place to go to. The image of the artist (Peter Andre) shows him sat coolly on a pure white chair - suggesting he is wealty as the chair looks expensive. He is shown looking visually attractive with his white shirt - which also links in with the colour scheme and 'cool' feel to the advert - unbuttoned at the top to show a toned, tanned body. He is looking to the right, not at the camera (not engaging with the audience) with a 'sexy' expression with narrowed eyes. This draws the audience in as they are curious to find out more about him - as the fact that he is looking away from the camera in such a way makes him seem mysterious. The image of him fades subtly into the pure white background. There are two smaller images of two albums that can be comsumed by the artist at the time of the advert therefore advertising the album.

Overall I think this advert reflects the cool, RnB genre of music which Peter Andre releases. The whole feel of the advert is breezy and cool because of the pure white background and light blue colours. It is a reffeshing and eyecatching advert and does not specifically advertise one of his songs alone but him as an artist and his music overall. I could use the fact that colours and space are used to create the feel of the music in my own work - considering what colours and shapes I would associate with the artist's music that I am promoting.

Conventions

In analysing the magazine adverts I have defined conventions which I will use in my own work:

* Large dominant photo of the artist.
* The colour scheme and fonts used reflect the genre of music the artist releases.
* The name of the artist is the largest text and stands out.
* The artist looks as visually attractive as possible.
* The websites of the artist and/or the tour dates are included.
* A contact number is included for booking tour tickets.

Making Of The Cover And Final Result

The following post reflects how I created the cover in different stages, what software and methods I used and the final product.



I decided to use this image for my album front cover image. The reasons are because the angle is just right, the pose is flattering and although the lighting isn't perfect, it is easy to modify this. The artist also looks as attractive as possible which is an important marketing trait in attracting the audience as they will either wish to look like the artist of be attracted to her, persuading them to consume the album. Also, the background of the image is plain which makes it easier to change into black - the colour I planned for the background colour. The image is exactly the image I had in mind for the album cover - I ensured this by planning ahead and thinking of the suitable, accessible location early. However, the outfit I used is different from what I planned as when looking through my wardrobe I found the dress I wore to my school prom which is elegant and beautiful - exactly the kind of look I wanted for my album cover. I think it works well and creates exactly the right 'feel' to the image.


Stages Of Creating The Album Image

1. Firstly I uploaded the image onto a photo editing website called Picnik. I could have used photoshop for this but I am more familiar with Picnik so therefore thought it would be easier, and quicker, to use this.

2. I used the cropping tool to crop the image to where I wanted. This ensures that the parts of the image i did not need would be cut out and also ensures that it is the correct shape.

3. Next I used the 'doodle' tool to colour the background black. I changed the size of the brush accordingly and blurred the brush slightly to create an even, neat finish.

4. I then used the black and white tool to change the dress and sofa into black and white. To do this I used a brush tool to go paint over the parts of the image I wanted to be in colour.

5. Next I used the exposure tool to change the contrast and brightness to where I thought it looked the best.

6. After using the sharpen tool to add sharpness to the image I saved the image as a high quality JPEG file.

7. I then opened the image into a program called 'Ulead Photo Express' which I am very familiar with.

8. I pasted an image of the moon onto the background of the image to the left, like planned.

9. I then downloaded various fonts from the Internet to try out the artist's name. After choosing the most attractive font I placed and coloured the text accordingly.

10. I used the 'selection' tool to select various snippets of grey clouds and placed these over the moon and over the text to create a misty, eerie feel. I changed the selection tool so that the edges were not sharp and straight but blurry and smudged therefore making the clouds seem realistic.

The Final Image

Here is the final image of the album cover. I am happy with it as I spent a lot of time ensuring every step I took to creating it was done taking time and care. I spent a lot of time experimenting including moving the image of the moon around and the text around to see what would look the best. Small things like such can be very effective.

The image is almost exactly the same as what I had planned and drafted. The dress the artist wears ensures elegance and connotates to her femininity and beauty. The artist looks attractive but the image overall is 'cartoon/fiction like' with the moon been so large and prominent so the posterise effect used to make the artist look slightly 'cartoonish' is effective overall as it also reflects the song - she-wolfs are fiction and the cartoonish effect emphasises this. I particularly like the image of the moon and clouds with the text as I think this is very effective in ensuring a creepy, mysterious atmosphere and looks attractive. Overall, I think the album cover would be successful in marketing the product as the image is unusual and elegant, portraying the artist as being an attractive woman. The overall image reflects the genre and ideology of the song well - the dark lighting, full moon and white 'ghostly' dress are typical of the horror genre.

In creating the rest of the album cover, the back cover, spine and the inside - I studied the conventions of other album covers which I found to be all the conventions I have written on my drafts: The name of the songs on the back of the cover, the producer name, a website, adverts inside the cover.. I also made sure I used the same colour scheme and feel in the rear image and the inside images.

Images Taken For The Album Cover And Advert

Here are the images I have taken for the front image of the album cover, the mobile phone advert and the close-up image inside the cover (underneath the where the disk is placed.)

<< -- Here is a screen shot of all images taken for both the album cover and the advert:

The following images are the ones I chose out of all of the images that I thought would be suitable to use:

Album Cover Drafts

To begin with I drafted a couple of basic design drafts of the album cover overall in the promotional pack. From these drafts I will choose one as a rough guide for creating my album cover.

Conclusion

I decided to choose the last draft design as it includes the conventions, which we know of as consumers, of album covers such as the advert for mobile phone wallpapers etc, the large image on the front and the close-up of the artist underneath the CD holder. I also like the fact that the text on the back cover is centered therefore it looks neat and attractive.

I have drafted out a few ideas of my own for the specific CD cover image, with the conventions of other CD covers taken into consideration. Out of these drafts I will choose the one that I think will be most appealing and effective with the audience and then use this draft to create the final CD cover product. By drafting out some ideas I am able to put thought into what exactly I want my cover to look like. As well as drafting out the cover plans I have also drafted out a few front cover image ideas as well, to ensure that the best, and most effective image possible will be used.

However, before I did this I needed to choose a name for the artist. I brainstormed possible suitable names ranging from 'retro/cool' to elegant:

Cherry
Stripe
Fierce
Sky
Skie
Zsha Zsha
Mimi
Star
Dixie
Lola
Cha Cha
Za Za
Stiletto
Blu
Imperia
Illusion
Zoowie (Pronounced Zoe)
Azure
Echo
India
Liberty
Kimora
Meera
Willow


Cocoa Zañita
Aña Aqueña
Junetta Mibella
Chiprialla Iba
Letizia
Zoeyette
Lina Cholo
Cody Brooke
Sofia Maria
Selena Lucia
Marina Der-chi
Miguel Alejandro
Alita
Jovetta
Inocenta Cruz
Danisha Diamante
Zuza
Villana
Kezia


Obviously the name of the artist will have an impact on what the images for the cover look like as if the name is elegant the images will represent the artist being element and if the name is sharp and cool the images will be sharp, retro and bright - to represent the artist.

To see what would really look the best I have ensured that I include a mix in the covers I draft out.





- This draft I created is aimed to include the overall theme of the song. A beautiful woman - the 'she-wolf' - is sat on a log in a dark, creepy forest with the full moon visible through the trees. She is wearing a flowing dress which is rippling slightly with the wind. Her facial expression would be serious and appealing, to draw the audience to this cover. The font I have used is 'fancy' and elegant, as well as the artist's name on this cover - which is an elegant, exotic name to fit in with the style of the cover. I like this design as it is elegant and the wood setting also links in with the theme of the song. I also like the fact that the artist is portrayed as been beautiful and elegant but her costume is not too revealing so therefore she is sexually appealing as she is pretty but she is not seen as too 'sexy'. It is also very similar to the 'Shakira' album cover I have analysed in the previous post, and Shakira is the original artist of the song.



- This draft captures more of the artist's sex appeal as she is laid out in a sexually appealing pose wearing a short dress and silver leggings. She is laid on a dark sofa which is part of the actual video itself. There is the sky above her with stars and a moon visible. The artist is looking up at the full moon, which links in with the 'werewolf' theme. The colours are dark and gloomy, like a horror movie and the artist's face is illuminated by the light from the moon which gives priority to her in the frame and draws the audience's eyes to her. The artist's name is elegant, to link in with the image, and to reflect this I have used an elegant font for the song name and a simple, modern but classy font for the artist's name. I like this design as it is so unusual and although it is not bright in colour - a technique usually used to catch the audience's eyes - it is unusual enough to catch their eyes and is visually appealing as it is more interesting to look at than most over covers. The image is also featured in the music video itself which is a good promotion technique as the audience will remember this image and immediatley link the image to the video itself.



I drafted out a few other drafts, which are slightly different from the previous as I created them with an edgier name for the artist in mind, therefore the cover reflects this as I think the cover should reflect the personality of the artist as whole to attract specific target audiences.

The idea of this cover image is that the image links in with the artist name - which is 'Stripe.' The stripe which is placed to the left and in front of the artist's face links with the artist name. I have chosen to show only an extreme close-up of the bottom of the artist's face to create a sense of mystery - as you cannot see the whole of their face - and to also focus on their lips which would be coloured brightly to add a 'sharp' bright feel to the image and to also add sex appeal. The background is plain white therefore focusing the attention on the artist's face and also creates a modern feel. The whole image is modern and sharp, but does not really link with the song in any way apart from the sense of mystery created by only the bottom of the face been visible. It is also a basic image and may not attract the audience because of this.





I have also used the name 'stripe' for the artist on this cover, as I decided it was a sharp and modern name. This cover image consists of 'stripes' placed in different places to split the image up into pieces. Different parts of a main image of the artist's face are scattered around these stripes, as is the letters of the artist's name. The background colour is different for every section. The image overall is different and unique but may also be a little too confusing for the audience as the artist's name is hard to read and the different parts of the image scattered around also create confusion.








In this cover draft I have used the same sort of idea as the first 'Stripe' draft, using the bottom of the artist's face with a plain white background. This image also links with the artist's name, again like the 'Stripe' covers. The cover consists of an extreme close-up of the bottom of the artist's face with their mouth open and biting on a cherry. I have used the colour of their lips to stand out against the white background to create a sharp modern feel. Their lips would be the same colour as the cherry and their skin as white as possible to emphasise the colour and make it stand out. The idea of using the cherry with the lips creates sex appeal but has nothing really to do with the song and merely links in with the artist's name. Also, the image itself is basic and perhaps not enough to capture the audience's eyes.


Conclusion

In conclusion, in my opinion, the first two cover designs are the best to use as they both link in with the song, look 'classy' and 'elegant' as well as using the conventions of the genre of the song and are both eye-catching and unusual. The last three cover designs are good ideas but do not link sufficiently with the actual song itself, just the artist, and therefore will not attract the audience as well as they should do and do not fullfill their expectations of the cover image linking with the song - which could sometimes work if the cover image is strong enough - but these designs are too basic to carry this off.


I personally think that the second design would be the most effective out of the two that I chose as it uses an actual image from the video therefore the audience will link this image to the video and remember it when viewing the video, therefore creating a strong subconcious impression. the image uses the conventions of the genre of music - as the artist is dressed in revealing clothing as do artists promoting dance music and in dance music videos. It also uses the conventions of the ideology of the song as a whole as it inlcudes elements of horror - the full moon and dark colours used. It is unusal and eye-catching which will attract the audience. The artist should look as good looking as possible so that it fullfills both of the target audience's needs - Males will find her sexually appealing and females will wish to look like her and may then even begin to copy her style and look from this image - use of narcissism as females will see her as an idealised image of themselves and adopt certain aspects of the artist.

* Name of the artist *

I decided on using the name Lina Cholo as it is elegant, exotic and sounds pleasant therefore it links with the elegant ideology of the album cover and also with the personality of the artist as I imagine the artist to be exotic and from a beautiful country such as Spain and also elegantly sexy and I think this name portrays this ideology well, therefore will attract the audience.