Grace's Blog: 2016

Wednesday, 16 March 2016

Tuesday, 15 March 2016

Task 4 - How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

Script for task 4 I began post-production by starting a lossless copying of the footage to HD on Adobe Prelude. Then I began to sort all of the rushes into a single bin on Adobe Premier. Once this was completed, I worked onto the timeline, syncing all of shots to the clapper board track so cutting the shot with the razor blade wouldn’t ruin the lip sync. This left us with plenty of different layers all in sync to the track. I used the razor blade tool to cut into each layer on the beat, using markers so as to show me where the cutting point was. Having done this I was able to drop the best cuts from each one on top of the main performance cut. I created the text animation, where we made a text layer, and began to font scale. We chose the font from dafont.com. To do this, the key frame would start at 0% and end at 100%, causing the font to grow as the computer acts as the inbetweeners. I needed to use the select tool in order for the animation not to be blocked by a moving arm; this masked it out by drawing a line around the object, and then cut it out. I had to chroma-key, animate text and changing the aspect ratio. I used Adobe After Effects to do it all, and it began with myself exporting all desired footage into the programme. Chroma keying with the green screen meant matting everything out, then it was easy to replace the black with a still image. We worked on colour with Lumetri Colour Engine, which works inside premier. This let me control the amount that specific colours feature. I worked on desaturating and saturating, this was to get rid of the black colouring in each shot. I desaturated the reds in each shot, which helped to give a 1980’s/90’ muddy and messy light, which propelled it into the period product look even further.

Task 3 - What did you learn from your audience feedback?

Monday, 14 March 2016

Task 2: How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts

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

The terms "pop performer" and "pop star" have become interchangeable — strictly speaking, in media terms they are not the same thing. The study of stars as media texts/components of media texts demands that the distinction be made between those who are simply known for performing pop music and those who are known for being pop stars, who have an identity or persona which is not restricted solely to their musicianship.

In order to understand the relationship between the industry and its audiences, it is important to consider the roles of music stars.
The term ‘star’ refers to the semi-mythological set of meanings constructed around music performers in order to sell, the performer to a large and loyal audience.

Dyer has written extensively about the role of stars, in film, TV and music.
irrespective of the medium stars have some key features in common, which are; A star is an image not a real person that is constructed out of a range of materials. (advertising mags etc).// Stars are commodities produced and consumed on the strength of their meanings.
Stars depend upon a range of subsidiary media (mags TV internet etc) - In order to construct an image for themselves, which can be marketed to their target audiences
The star image is made up of a range of meanings which are attractive to the target audiences.
Common values of music stardom - Youthfulness, Rebellion, Sexual magnetism, Attitude.
Fundementally the star image is incoherent, that is incomplete and ‘open’, Dyer says this is because it is based on two key paradoxes

1). The star nut be simultaneously ordinary and extra ordinary - Lazy Rymz - Urban set - with friends - Costume, sass - DJ set

2). The star must be simultaneously present and absent for the consumer - posters, video, interview - not fully embodied - concert (be with them)

Digipak

Using different backgrounds
Bright and vibrant colours
Outlining the girls and making them stand out- this also creates a retro hip-hop 90’s look.
Positioning of the girls- canted angles- adhering to stereotypes

Website

we also had to use the star image theory on our website, we realised that we had already got across the serious aspect of our groups image, with links to female independence. So for the website we kept this but we wanted to show there was another side to their image, which is more fun side, we helped get this through using a lot of colourful design within the website, for example the front page of the site, is the three girls looking serious, but surrounded by a load of abstract colourful lines, which is a similar style to something that KidnPlay used to use. Also to get the image across on the band page, there is a little back story to each of the girl, all of which highlight the classic background that RnB artists would come from in the 90’s. This is further shown within the gallery of photos, especially by one which shows the girls standing over the city of Brooklyn.

bold image
Sense of sass and attitude
Bright vibrant colours
Different shapes and patterns
Clear layout
Youthful and fun description of the girls.
Urban vibes

Music Video

Through using Richard dyers theory of star image we were able to construct a group that we thought matched what was needed. Using both the lyrics and visuals within our music video we were able to portray our artists, as a group of strong independent woman, which was a common theme within 90’s RnB with reference to examples such as, independent women –Destiny’s Child and girl talk by TLC. An example of the shot which arguably highlights would be when the main artist is sitting on the sofa with everyone, in the centre of the shot, holding on her lap the boombox on her lap highlighting that she has control over it. Moreover, as a 90’s RnB group to fit the star image of this genre, we used a lot of bright and flashy colours within the video, such as the gel screened panels as one of the sets. Also the girl’s costumes, all of which were brightly coloured helped get this part of the image through, and you can see a similar style of costume used in Destiny’s Child music video for the song Nasty Girl. Through the use of star image, we were able to create a both successful and creative music video, which allowed us to achieve our desired 90’s RnB themed music video.

Sunday, 13 March 2016

Task 1: SHOOP: Forms & Conventions:In what ways do your media products use, develop or challege form and convention of real media products

Conventions can include camera angles, language, dress code, or simply the actions character. Forms on the other hand are are the elements of the piece which give it a recognisable structure and ‘shape’, to the media product, for example the narrative, genre and length.

We used a green screen and put a picture of a London skyline at night. The shot is a close up, which gives a 90’s hip hop feel to the video immediately in addition to the grain effect we added to the whole video. The form used in this shot is the composition of the girls within the frame. With Kemi in the foreground and the other two girls slightly behind at an angle in the background. We did this as not only does it reinforce our forms of a hip hop 90’s video but it also exentuate’s Kemi and establishes her as the lead from the beginning of the video, therefore creating her star image.

We used many fast movement shots, when cutting and changing set, which kept the video speedy and witty. It was typical for 80’s video’s to attach their shots together. We followed the technological conventions of a 90’s video as we used hand held shots to create these fast swift movements. We adapted this editing technique and therefore this allowed us to transition and cut between sets and shots. We saw this in other media texts such as music videos featuring biggie smalls.

We used intimate shots such as this one, which was a shot commonly used in video’s such as salt n pepa’s original video for shoop, and many of TLC’s music video’s such as no scrubs. The technological convention of close up tilted angle works well and we challenged this, using the boom box as an almost over the shoulder shot which we use in the opening shot swell. This introduces the boom box into the video in a subtle but also clear way.

On this set we also experimented with lighting and used the backlighting in order to show a silhouette of the girls, which was just beginning to appear in 80’s and 90’s hip hop video’s, which seemed new and current. The coloured background is also typical of a fun hip hop video of the 90’s. Colourful lighting is a popular form seen in music video’s from the early 90’s, we challenged this through our experimentation, as we used just the backlighting therefore making the girls silhouettes.

Many of our shots were shot through a hand held camera, and therefore we achieved canted angles. Which instantly acts as a convention of a 90’s music video, particularly a hip hop music video, with the close up shots. We embraced this convention as it added a lot of movement to the video and kept, it interesting whilst also allowing us to adapt these conventions to use canted angles and moving shots to establish each of the girls as having different personalities, through the way they perform.

Finally we used many wide and mid shots, to establish the girls as artists, commonly used in videos featuring En Vogue and TLC. This gave the girls a fun upbeat and cheeky image, whilst also establishing their relationship as close friends.

Our music video is typical of an 80's/90s hip hop music video, as well as following conventions of girl groups such as the girl empowering image, we showed this through camera angles, with close up and mid shots, which allow them to show off their confident and sassy image. However the video does not follow the forms and conventions typical of a contemporary music video, as we changed the format to 4:3 and added a grain effect to the video.