Evaluation Tasks

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

This image is stereotypical of many music videos of this genre. The image shows the band members each playing their instruments up close and follows them in a single shot. An example of a video in which this is used is in the video for 'Say You Don't Want It' - One Night Only. This is not only the same genre but the same band. 

This image conforms to the genre conventions as it uses an effect called ghosting. This is a very popular effect as it is fairly versatile.  It is used in many music videos as it can portray many different things such as: separate stories, secrets, the past etc. This is one of the reasons we used this effect within our music video. 

This frame shows how we lit and angled the shot. The lighting is very ominous and dim. This connoting mystery and rebel. I feel it is a very effective use of lighting because of these reasons. The use of camera angle is also effective and common in the use of music videos of this genre because it also portrays similar to that of the lighting as it creates mystery as we cannot see the singers face and what we can see is either very dark or very light. 

This frame shows the use of spilt screen within our music video. Throughout the video split screens appear often as they are an effective way to show what is happening at the same time in different places. This is used often in music videos of the Indie Pop genre as it allows the audience to view different people in different places and different band members etc. 

In this frame I feel the lighting and the angle of the camera create a very romantic image. Romanticising is used very often in music videos and conforms to the conventions of our genre of video. The angle like the one of the lead singer creates a very mysterious shot but because the guitarist looks up it also creates a very shy and flirty image. 

The genre conventions the video is conforming to within this shot is the stereotypical teenager causing havoc by graffiti. This is evident in many music videos of this genre although can also be viewed as stereotypical for the rap genre of music also. 

This shot shows the whole band playing. The lighting is dim and spotlights on certain people within the band. This is stereotypical of music videos as this allows certain band members to be in the spotlight. This could be due to a guitar solo although it is rare that this shot is used for the when the lead does a solo as they are generally close-ups or medium shots. 

This shot shows the lead singer being spotlighted. As is commonly used in other music videos the lead singer is lighter than the other band members and also the shot is a a medium shot. This allowing the focus to be solely on the lead singer and means the audience is not distracted away from the song and the lyrics. 

When creating our digipak we looked at many others that were similar to the style we were aiming for and took inspiration from those. Many we saw had band members on the pages. In seeing this we decided to place our band members within the flaps of the digipak although we played with the images. The main front cover of the digipak shows two of the band members messing around which connotes fast tempo and very fun energetic music. 

When creating the advert for the band we also researched others for bands similar to ours and took certain layouts and ideas from some of the adverts. When creating our advert we made sure the images of the band were ones that would be familiar. These images would be considered familiar as they are featured in the digipak alone with the font used for the title of the band and the album title. Whilst researching we found that many videos had reviews, star ratings, the record company, release date and some sort of website or blog. This is something we also chose to include in our advert as we thought these would be an effective thing to include as it would help the audience find out more information about the band/album. 










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



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


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

Q4 script

Technologies we used:

- HD Video cameras
- Macs
- Photoshop
- Final Cut
- Laptop
- Digital Camera

Stage one: Planning

In planning our music video the technologies we used were The Macs and the digital cameras. These Macs allowed us to reseach online different music videos that were both similar and different to create inspiration for our own videos. We also used it to contact the artist (One Night Only) We used the digital cameras in reseaching locations for our  music video.

Stage two: Filming

In filming our video we used a HD video camera and a laptop. The video cameras were afixed to a tripod and were of a very good quality. These specific cameras were easy to use and easy to upload onto the computers. We used the laptop during filming to play the original song. This allowed the vocals within the video to match with the original vocals within the song.

Stage three: Editing

When we were editing we used the program final cut. This allowed us to add filters, effects, transitions, editing, lip sync and gave us freedom to play around with all our footage. This creating effects like ghosting and split screen.

Stage four: Marketing

In marketing our band we created a magazine advert and created a digipak for the product. The digipak and advert were created using photoshop. This allowed us to add layers and affects and let us create somenthign we enjoyed making and we would feel would be suitable to place in a magazine.    

Notes on Coursework Evaluation Questions

Question 1:

Conventions used:

• Stereotypical clothing
• Fast paced transitions
• Ghosting
• Stereotypical location for the genre we are trying to represent
• Split screen

Question 2: 

Scripting For Commentary

- New footage being used of band instrumental because feedback said it was out of time, no realistic and ineffective in comparison to the rest of the footage we used.

- Comments on location were made which inspired the use of different footage which conforms to the music video conventions we were trying to achieve

- We felt the costumes and performances within the footage were ineffective and because of this we made careful plans to make sure costume was synchronized and fits with the stereotype.

- In the final cut we altered and played with transitions adding more to create interest in  the video for the viewers and to create the feeling of chaos.

- It was said that the rough cut was a little slow and in editing we sped up scenes, used fast paced transitions and in doing this it made the video quick paced and exciting.

- We got told that the video needed something unique about it and we feel the lighting used is very much so. We used a house lamp and a torch and reflector to create warm lighting which juxtaposed the setting.

- We reanalyzed the background for the band footage and decided that a fairly blank background would be more fitting. So the location is dim and it is shot in a garden at night so the rest of the location can not be seen clearly.

- In the rough cut it was commented that the instrument playing didn't look very realistic. So to correct this the people that couldn't play the instruments practiced at looking realistic despite not playing. This required listening to the music and working out the beat and where the instruments came in to the song. This made the video look more realistic and affective and gave the impression we were an actual band.

Digipak - Lost Feeling

Magazine Advert - Lost Feeling

Track List

- Unicorn Ridicule
- Stay At Home
- Lost Feeling
- Brown Bag
- Teenage Anxiety
- Spaceman
- Cobra Wildfire
- Here Comes the Calvary
- Upload Complete
- Fingerprints
- Undeniable Fear
- + = - (Plus Equals Minus)
- What Happened Yesterday?

Album Names

- 9:20
- One Night Only
- Decisions Decisions
- Teenage Solitude
- Blue Fire
- Lagoon
- Cobra Wildfire
- Lost Feeling
- The Night's Still Young
- Limitless
- Nonsense Is Necessary
- Cynical Ridicule
- Unicorn Ridicule

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Reviews

NME

"Far be it from us to patronise the young, but when your singer started in your band at 12, your nearest big city is York and you’re being played by Steve Lamacq before you’re old enough to drink, you have to wonder whether you’ve enough life experience. Thankfully, One Night Only have the sense to write about what they know. Trouble is, on too many tracks, especially ‘It’s Alright’, there’s a striving for the transcendent, tacked oddly on to the sort of everyday teenage drama that Arctic Monkeys tackle with more wit and precision. While there’s no knocking their musical chops there’s little individual voice. On ‘Just For Tonight’ the influence of labelmates The Killers is strong in the widescreen synths and smart-mouthed heartache while George Craig’s voice recalls Luke Kook. They may find their own sound; if not, that name might prove spookily accurate."

" The idea of The Coral indulging in a touch of frottage by rubbing up against the side of The Subways might not be everyone’s idea of a good time, but for One Night Only it’s almost as exciting as an eight-hour jamming session with The Kooks. ‘You And Me’ is pleasantly toe-tapping enough, but these young guns aren’t going to win any prizes for originality. Even the nice bit at the end where we get some sing-song banter between two band-members seems to have been lifted wholesale from about half a dozen Libertines records. Close, but no cigar."

 

When The Gramophone Rings

 

 

"The supercharged first single Say You Don’t Want It – the most downloaded Mp3 in this site’s history – showcases the albums wonderfully put together sound. 80’s reverb swathes everything in a stadium rock glow, synths weave in and out of Craig’s impassioned vocal delivery which (most importantly) drives us towards a chorus made of solid gold. As far as comeback singles go, it’s absolutely perfect."

 

 

Crack In The Road

 

 

"Let me not take anything away from the lead single though; it’s a future anthem in waiting, a catchy hook, meaningless but flowing lyrics and a chorus to charm the most vexatious heart. However the rest of the album is nothing worth shouting about, unless of course you are shouting to drown out this garbage that calls itself music, in which case you are forgiven. After an entire listen to this record, I can wholeheartedly say the only track that might ever feature again on my iPod is Say You Don’t Want It, even then, I’d be far more inclined to stick on Like You Do. Singalong with me now “I’m sinking deep, I’m going under…!”"

 

 

 

There Goes The Fear

 

 

"All of the tracks on One Night Only’s second album follow pretty much the same formula: pounding drums, thrashing guitars, synths and keyboards, with lead singer (and occasional Burberry model) George Craig’s vocals shifting between smooth and rough and tying it all together to create a slightly retro sound that is somehow also very current. But this isn’t to say the songs all sound the same. Far from it, the band’s infectious energy and the interesting melodies and rhythms keep the album exciting the entire way through.

Many of the tracks deal with the fame that the band has already acquired and are sure to have more of now that ‘One Night Only’ has hit the shelves. As their press release says, “it’s the story of chasing the end of the rainbow, what happens along the way and when you get there” and it conveys “…a feeling of being catapulted into something tremendously exciting and perhaps a little troubling”. Singing about fame and fortune can often come off as bragging (I’m looking at you, hip hop) but One Night Only approaches it from more of a “holy shit, look what’s happening!” point of view that is incredibly refreshing.
In the album opener and lead single, they sing “the big screens, the plastic-made dreams / say you don’t want it.” The subject of fame comes up again in the incredible ‘Forget My Name,’ which has an exuberant, barely-contained quality to it. They sing “caught up in all of the action / We’re in the middle of streets all painted gold / Have you seen the reaction lately / Of all the people we left back home?” They let go completely in the chorus, practically shouting it out: “On and on we keep on dreaming, / in the end you won’t forget my name.” This larger-than-life, anthem-y sound is present in of a lot of their songs, particularly ‘Chemistry,’ ‘Got It All Wrong’ and the incredible ‘Anything’.
If it was up to me to pick the second single from this album, I’d probably go for ‘All I Want,’ which finds itself at the halfway point in the album. It’s very synthy and retro, and pairs tinkly keyboards with a rough guitar riff and echoing vocals for a sound that’s just too much fun. The fantastic line “speak how you feel so the words sound real” from the second verse later becomes the refrain and will be incredible to sing along to live.
‘One Night Only’ is both playful and mature, and its energetic highs and sensuous lows are like a roller coaster ride you’ll want to take again and again.
9/10"

ContactMusic.com

 

 

"Already highly tipped as a band to watch in 2008, Helmsley's One Night Only is the latest outfit to benefit from Myspace exposure. Beginning as a tribute band in 2003, a support slot last year with The Pigeon Detectives did them no harm and they'll spend February on a nationwide tour.

Taken in small doses, One Night Only are a decent enough indie proposition with inoffensive melodies, but over the course of an album there is a rather uninspiring lack of variation on show. Jo Whiley-backed single 'Just For Tonight' is jolly, anthemic and will no doubt inspire a bit of a boogy, but it's far from exciting or groundbreaking. For those who do enjoy it, there's more in the shape of 'You And Me' and the slightly more rock and roll 'He's There'. Lowering the tempo, 'It's About Time' is a snapshot of the band, not bad but difficult to really enthuse over. It mixes piano and guitar well and the result is a sweet love song that would light up the day of Radio 2 listeners. Easily the stand out moment of this debut album is the highly enjoyable 'Start Over', from the drum-heavy intro and decent riff right through to an extended guitar solo that U2's The Edge could have produced. It all goes downhill from there though, with the backend of the record being something of a challenge to not reach for the skip button. 'Time' goes for the brooding indie that Snow Patrol have perfected but without the same effect and George Craig's Yorkshire accent comes through a little too harshly. By the time they've rounded things off with 'Sweet Sugar' - which starts like casual restaurant music - and 'Hide' the monotonous tone is overpowering and it's rare that anything above mediocre has registered. "


Final Cut - Feedback From Class

1) Use Of Conventions

- Shows the band's ability with instruments
- It went well with the theme of the song
- Camerawork and editing both push convention
- General rock video, urban setting theme throughout
- Great setting background, use of camerawork and typical band-work
- Band Performance
- Fits well with Indie genre - has home-made feel in a positive way through, very indie videos have that sort of feel.

2) Presentation Of Artist/Performance

- Enthusiastic performance in band scenes
- The group seemed like a proper band which worked well with the genre
- Looked professional
- Very realistic performance, good facial expressions and body language - interesting
- Presented well, again presented as Indie - like the dark garden and lighting - reminiscent of concert
- Lead singer is really good, shows great emotion, acts really well while keeping lip-syncing perfect.
- I think it does well to push other artists
- Artists (Harrison's) really good performance! Bryn's great!

3) Quality of Lip-Syncing

- Well synced, and it was a good idea to use the other clips so that it didn't become boring
- Perfect
- Very good lip-sync
- Excellent - lots of lip-syncing, all enthusiastic
- Expressive
- Good lip-syncing, in time

4) Use Of Camerawork/Editing/Mise-en-Scene

- Lots of different camera angles, well edited, mise-en-scene fits the genre
- Very good use of editing, effects and transitions
- Effective camera shots (close-ups, long shots, side shots, spinning shots), typical costume for rock video (black and white clothing)
- Split-screen works well, different camera angles and constant short changes to keep us engaged
- Cutting between scenes is used very effectively, different effects, slow motion
- Great mise-en-scene setting and costume is perfect
- Love love love the camerawork and editing - the editing at the start with Bryn is really good as well as the split-screens

5) Overall Effectiveness

- Engages with target audience
- A really fun and entertaining video
- Engaging and interesting to watch
- Story-line and fast editing keep people engaged
- Really good video, lots of variety and keeping audiences interest.

Final Cut

Comparing and contrasting

Pick a real music video that you think is similar to what you have produced and compare and contrast

The Only Place - Best Coast





Similarities:

• Both include rebellious activities.
• Both have drums, acoustic guitar and electric guitars.
• Both have similar story line: starting in a home setting, leaving, causing havoc and returning home.

Differences

• Our doesn't contain such rebellious activities.
• Our has darker colours.
• Ours is more upbeat, whereas the song chosen hasn't got such a fast tempo. 

Rough Cut Feedback

1. Have the shot material appropriate for a music video?

• Yes, footage relates to song.
• Yes the setting is relevant.
• Yes, follows a lot of indie videos- 'causes mischief.'

2. Has attention been paid to mise-en-scene?

• Yes, good use of costume but not as much on location.
• Yes, the use of masks are good, and the clothing is appropriate and relevant.
• Like the idea of masks. Location could be created.

3. Is there controlled use of the camera?

• Yes with how framed well.
• Yes, the camera is controlled and professional.
• Yes.

4. Is there a variety of shot types and angles?

• Yes they have lots.
• Yes  there is a variety of shots which hold our interest.
• Yes, good variety in this respect.

5. Is the editing effective at constructing a linear or non-linear meaning?

• Yes as there's a story line that is cut up.
• Yes there is a clear story line following the main character.
• Yes, is easy to follow 'story'- goes well with lyrics at times.

6. Is there appropriate use of transitions and other effects?

• Yes with the layering.
• Not many transitions but good use of other effects, eg ghosts.
• Yes, like him sitting in house and one leaving.

7. Does the pace of the editing work well with the pace of the song?

• Yes though cut most of it.
• Yes because it is quick speed and the song is upbeat.
• Yes, fast paced.

8. If there is lip synching, is it effective?

• There were parts which it didn't match up.
• Yes mostly all lip synching is in time.
• Yes, instrument playing doesn't look entirely convincing though.

9. Is the video effective a communicating a star persona?

• Yes- revolves around one person.
• Yes because they dressed like they are in a band.
• Yes.

10. Do you think they need to re-film anything or film anything else? If so, what?

• If to re-film we think the clips with the band, as the background doesn't fit well.
• Put in more fast paced shots, maybe close up to give it more variation and hold our interest.
• There is a lot of variety which is good, some scenes are a bit boring though. Think that video needs a 'quirk'- something to add an edge.

Rough Cut

Theoretical Study into Audience

Guidance:

I feel that the audience for our music video will be entertained just because there are a few serious elements but also some comical elements within the video which will keep the audience entertained and affixed to the screen. The performance will keep the audience entertained because it will be realistic and meaningful.



Some of the viewers may be able to identify with the characters in the video if they have ever had a night were they have had to decide whether to go out or stay at home. We don't think many people would aspire to be like the people in the video because they lead an average life and are rebellious.

The audience do not get to know what the band looks like because they are wearing masks, but they do get to see what the character is like when he is at home.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Audience Research

Ideal Audience Type:

• Teenagers
• Both male and female
• Listen to: Alternative Rock, Indie, Pop Rock, Rock, Pop
• Wear skinny jeans, Converse, Doc Martens, band t-shirts, plaid shirts
• Magazines (NME, Kerrang!), Television (MTV, DAVE, VIVA, Kerrang!), Radio (NME, Radio 1, Kerrang!), Film (Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging, St. Trinian's, Alice In Wonderland) 
• Festivals (Glastonbury, Secret Garden Party, Reading And Leeds Festival, Latitude) 
• Technology (iPod/iPhone, Mac, Camera)

Test Footage

Shooting Schedule

 Traveling to Ely to film

Shooting indoor footage of the guy in the house

Traveling back from Ely

Shooting the guy out in town.

Storyboard