Reflection

I worked with a friend to create my music video. This meant that there were two of us to create a music video to the best of our ability. It also meant splitting roles in order to have the best results.

My role was more to do with filming and directing. Although I was involved in a lot of the editing process, my role was mainly with filming. I used my Canon EOS 1200D and a Canon EOS 600D to film, and these were good quality cameras which I believed would give me the best quality pictures.
I was also responsible for the equipment, using tripods, sliders and different lenses.

There were many things I learnt during the filmmaking process, particularly with how difficult it is to work with actors who aren't paid and who also have work commitments. It was a struggle to try and find time to film, especially when the demand for the film was quite time consuming. In the end, we changed our actress for the narrative side, as we couldn't rely on our original actress as much as we thought we could.
I also learnt a lot to do with time and organisation. I learnt that filming a minute's worth of film can take up to three hours, depending on the types of shots we needed. I also learnt that keeping organised was very important; making sure that we had all our equipment together and that we didn't forget equipment, as well as recognizing that our actors couldn't be with us for as long as we would want them to be.
I also understood that keeping organised and planning properly would help me to create a good music video. Knowing what I was doing and what my plans were helped me to stick to my plans and keep a schedule on what I wanted to complete, to what extent and to what time.
As well as this, I learnt a lot during the editing process, particularly with thought beats and lip syncing. I learnt that having enough footage was very important in order to fill up enough of the song so that we could do thought beats properly. Cutting to the beat was difficult, but when I had been editing for a long time it became easier. Lip syncing however was fairly difficult, as sometimes the actor may have sung too slow or too quickly, which resulted in me having to increase or decrease the speed.

Overall, the progression of my skills from AS has significantly improved. I have learnt skills in different technology such as Premiere Pro, and how to film, using different camera angles and movements.

Evaluation Question 4

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

Evaluation Question 3

What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

Evaluation Question 2

How effective is the combination of your main products and the ancillary tasks?

My ancillary task had to represent my music video and the band in such a way that the audience could recognise it quickly, as almost a brand. I feel like my ancillary tasks are good at representing the band. I took most of the shots on location, so that it linked to the four separate locations in our music video, which showed continuity within my products.

I actually used a few different colours within the digipak itself but they all followed a theme of love, which was what I wanted to represent within it. I also called it Brand New Eyes in order to connote the meaning of the music video, that being starting over and new beginnings. The "Brand New Eyes" title is looking at the world in a different way, through new eyes. It is also the name of another Paramore album, but I thought it would link nicely to our music video.

My poster links with my digipak in terms of font and the lead singer. The font I used on the poster is the same as the font used on the album cover which helps to create a brand identity. The usage of Keira in the poster and digipak establishes the meaning of the band, helping to inform the audience who Paramore are. The usage of the lights helps to connote the Last Hope video, using flames to establish the meaning. The back of the album cover is black and white, like my poster in order to create a brand identity. As well as this the heart around her face is the same as the inside cover on the digipak. This helps to anchor the meaning between the digipak and poster.

My ancillary tasks also relate to my main product with the props used in the music video. For example, our actresses t-shirt was chosen due to the flower-heart shape, which is also used on my digipak and poster. I thought the heart shape to be a repeated visual motif seen constantly throughout all of my pieces.

I think that my poster helps to sell the album as it is fairly ambiguous, but the heart around her face connotes a feeling of love and passion. I also used an image of the hearts themselves which also helped to connote the idea of love and happiness. The pink also helps to bring out the poster to catch the reader's attention. 

The "OUT NOW" in scruffy-looking font used in most rock magazines and posters which helps to anchor the genre, connoting rock music. As well as this, the music magazines NME and Kerrang! helps the audience understand what genre the band is. I used these two magazines as they are known to be rock magazines, and are both magazines which Paramore have been featured on before. I used HMV to distribute as it is a well known store where CDs can be sold, and one that audiences will recognize.

Furthermore, the record label Fueled By Ramen is a fairly popular record label for punk rock/rock bands such as Paramore, Panic! At The Disco, Fun., Cobra Starship and Twenty One Pilots. 

Evaluation Question 1

Final Video

This is the final cut of our music video. Overall, I am really pleased with how it turned out. A lot of work was put into it, but I have learnt a lot, for example, it takes a lot longer to film a 5 minute video than I thought it would, actors can be unreliable if they don't get paid and shooting good quality images at night is very difficult without the right lighting! I have also learnt a lot while editing, using Premiere Pro. I feel like the use of this editing software has taught me basic skills in editing and they are hopefully ones I will continue to use.

DIRECTORS COMMENTARY
(Slightly out of sync)

I posted the video on a few social networking sites and this is the feedback we received.

As well as this, I filmed some feedback from three classmates, Sophie, Eddie and Janet.

Institution

My final ancillary tasks are all distributed by the same institutions as Paramore are. I decided to do this because it seems a very realistic and accurate way of presenting my ancillary tasks in a way that audiences would understand, as I was following the codes and conventions by using a company who produces alternative rock, punk and pop-rock music. I also included Atlantic Records, as this is the label Paramore are also on as well as Fueled By Ramen. Atlantic Records is a very well known company and so it would be easily recognisable by audiences from many countries and backgrounds. 

Furthermore, I included legal information on my digipak, informing the customer of copright infringement laws and other legal information, as well as an email and label icons.

"© Published by 2015 Atlantic Records, all rights reserved. Unauthorised copying, reproduction, hiring or public performance strictly prohibited." 

The colours also fit in with the usage of colours in my actual music video, using reds, yellows and pinks to represent the tone of the video, that being strength, passion and love. The heart on the actresses t-shirt is also reflected in the poster and digipak.

I used YouTube to upload my music video. YouTube is defined as a "video sharing site... which allows users to upload, view and share videos". I found this to be the easiest option, although Vimeo was also a good platform, YouTube was more popular and distributes to wider audiences. Most musicians and bands upload music videos and band-content onto YouTube channels, some using Vevo or other sponsors. It also makes it easier to reach mass and niche audiences, as anyone can search for anything on YouTube, with 300 hours worth of footage being uploaded every minute.

My digipak used HMV to distribute. HMV sells a variety of different items, such as CDs and DVDs, as well as t-shirts and electronic equipment. HMV is a leading brand in Britain, to those who still purchase portable albums instead of iTunes. As well as HMV, I would also sell it at Supermarket's such as Sainsbury's, for people who may be interested but not set out to buy the album.
As well as this, my poster would also be sold on magazines. I would use magazines such as NME and Kerrang! as they represent the rock and punk genres, genres that Paramore easily fits into. As well as this, Paramore have been shown in both of these magazines in the past, making it a sure-fire option for distribution. Both the magazines have fairly large audiences, so that the album will reach a large audience. 

Overall, I am pleased with the outcome of my ancillary tasks and music video. I have made progress and developed my skills very clearly from the beginning of the year, starting with my preliminary video and now with my completed one, as well as the development of my Photoshop skills.